Question: Regarding the Social Security Fairness Act, I am getting my money but now there’s a problem with my Medicare premiums. Is anyone else having these problems? Are they related?
Answer: Yes, problems with Medicare premiums, including double-billing, may be related to how payments are processed now that you are no longer penalized by the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset, which the Social Security Fairness Act repealed. After the repeal, nearly 3 million people became eligible for Social Security benefits, or for higher monthly payments if they were previously eligible.
Social Security and Medicare are separate programs that work together. For many retirees, the Social Security Administration automatically deducts Medicare premiums from monthly Social Security benefits. Prior to receiving Social Security, retirees affected by the SSFA would have paid their Medicare premiums a different way, and issues have emerged during the transition. The SSA describes problems and solutions on its website, but does not say how many people are affected. Here are details from ssa.gov; you may need to take action to correct your problem.
Q: “What should I do if my Medicare premiums are being deducted from my Social Security benefit and my Office of Personnel Management annuity?”
A: “The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is working on this issue. Anyone who had too many Medicare premiums withheld will receive a refund. You do not need to call, but if you have questions on this specific issue, contact 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).”
Q: “What happens if my Medicare premium is deducted from my Civil Service Retirement System annuity?”
A: “If a person has had their premiums deducted from their CSRS annuity, and then applies for Social Security benefits, SSA will tell the person that their premiums will now be deducted from their monthly Social Security benefits. SSA’s notice will include this information. In most cases, the premium refund will be included in the back payment from SSA. If not, the refund will be issued at the end of the calendar quarter. If you do not receive a premium refund within six weeks of the close of the calendar quarter, please contact SSA. Please contact SSA if you have any questions about your premiums.”
Q: “What if a person pays their Medicare premium directly to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services due to the Windfall Elimination Provision or Government Pension Offset reduction?”
A: “SSA recommends that, until they get a notice from SSA, the person should continue to follow the instructions on the Medicare premium bill and pay the bill to ensure their Medicare coverage does not stop. SSA will send a notice telling people when their Social Security record is updated. Once the person begins receiving a Social Security benefit, the Medicare premium will be deducted from their monthly payment. If the benefit is not enough to cover the Medicare premium, the person will be billed for the remainder. SSA’s notice will include this information.
“If the person prepaid their premiums to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and SSA tells them that their premiums will now be deducted from their monthly Social Security benefits, they will receive any applicable refund. SSA’s notice will include this information.
“You may need to take action. For people who pay their Medicare premium using Automated Clearing House, also known as Medicare Easy Pay or Online Bill Payment: Once SSA notifies the person that they will receive a benefit increase, the Medicare premium will automatically be deducted from their monthly Social Security payment.
“For people using Medicare Easy Pay: They should arrange to stop the ACH payments by completing the Authorization Agreement for Preauthorized Payments form (SF-5510) and sending to the address on the form or online at Medicare.gov. Both options are located at 808ne.ws/ezpay.
“For people using Online Bill Payment: If a person is paying their Medicare premiums through their bank’s online bill payment service, they should contact their bank to stop their online bill payments.”
“Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) for assistance.”
Q: What is going in where the movie theater used to be at Koko Marina? There is construction work going on.
A: Negotiations are underway with multiple potential tenants for that space and Koko Marina Center’s management office hopes to announce details within the next three months, the leasing agent said Thursday. For now, there’s nothing official to publicly report. Ongoing interior demolition work is taking the space to “shell condition” for new tenants once they are finalized, she said. The movie theater, formerly an anchor tenant of the Hawaii Kai shopping center, closed July 30, 2023.
Write to Kokua Line at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 2-200, Honolulu, HI 96813; call 808-529-4773; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.
