Review of eligibility for extra help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs
If you get extra help with your Medicare prescription drug plan costs, Social Security may contact you to review your status. This review will ensure that you are still eligible for the Extra Help and receiving all the benefits you deserve.
If you are not selected for a review, there will be no change in the amount of Extra Help you receive.
When will Social Security do this review?
Reviews will be done each year usually at the end of August.
How will Social Security contact me?
We will send you a form to complete, called Social Security Administration Review of Your Eligibility
for Extra Help
(SSA-1026). You will have 30 days to complete and return this form. Any necessary adjustments to the Extra Help will be effective in January of the following year. For example, if we sent you a review form in August 2009 and you returned the review form within 30 days, any necessary adjustment to your Extra Help will be effective in January 2010.
What if I need help completing the form?
Family members, caregivers and third parties can help you complete the form. Social Security also can help answer questions you may have. Just call us at 1-800-772-1213. If you are deaf or hard of hearing, please call our TTY number at 1-800-325-0778. You may also visit your local Social Security office for assistance.
Will changes in the law affect the review of my Extra Help?
Beginning in 2010, we will no longer count any life insurance as a resource, and we will no longer count help received from others with household expenses as income. So, the SSA-1026 you receive in August will no longer contain questions about life insurance or household expenses. This is because changes reported on the SSA-1026 will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2010.
What kind of adjustment will be made to my Extra Help?
One of the following will occur: • No change in the amount of Extra Help you receive; • An increase in the amount of Extra Help you receive; • A decrease in the amount of Extra Help you receive; or • Termination of your Extra Help.
What will happen if I do not return the review form?
Your Extra Help will be terminated in January of the following year.
How will I know what decision Social Security made on the review?
Social Security will send you a letter explaining the decision we made. If you believe the decision is incorrect, you will have the right to appeal it. The letter also will explain your appeal rights.
How can I get more information?
For more information about Extra Help with your Medicare prescription drug plan costs or general information about Social Security, call us at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visit www.socialsecurity.gov. If you call because you have questions about a letter you received, please have the letter with you. It will help us answer your questions.
To learn more about Medicare prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods, call 1-800- medicare (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048 or visit www.medicare.gov.
If you have any additional questions, you may call Pat Hafermann, elderly benefits specialist with the Aging and Disability Resource Center, at (920) 459-4389.
Resource:
“Social Security Administration” August 2009
