I’m sure that many of you have had great experiences with Social Security. We have not. It’s so ridiculous what we have to put up with and have no recourse. Vince isn’t going to start drawing social security for a couple of years and it’s probably three years before I start but . . Medicare . . therein lies a big problem.
As required (or semi-required), he filed for Medicare when he turned 65. Some of you on Medicare may already know this but it was kind of a surprise to us. The premiums are based on your income tax return from two years prior so, for us, it was 2016. That was a year that, for various reasons, we made way more than most any other recent years. With the IRMAA adjustment, Vince is paying about 2.5 times what he should be paying. He went in to the local Social Security Office on June 4, took in a letter from HR that he had retired, effective June 1, and no longer had income from his former employer. I don’t remember what all paperwork he had but he had done his research and had what he needed. He took it on on June 4, waited forever (first of the month crowd), talked to a rep there. Luckily, Vince had them stamp his copy for the date they received, and had the guy sign it. He said it would be resolved within a couple of weeks and Vince would get a letter.
Vince waited til almost the end of June, called the 800 Social Security number, which always has at least a one hour wait but you can leave a message and they will call you back in a given amount of time, and they always have. When he finally talked to someone there, they had no record of Vince ever having gone in and taken the paperwork.
On July 9, after waiting through the July 4 holidays, he went back to the local office and they told him “apparently the paperwork has been lost”. OK . . that can happen. Not happy about it but understandable. He asked to speak to the manager. After checking with her, the guy told Vince she had obligations but she would call him later. She did. She told him she would look into it, if there was any additional information needed in order to process the claim, she would get back with him. He never heard from her again. He waited. Towards the end of July, he got his premium notice and it was still the same amount. He called the 800 number again, talked to them. They said give it some more time but they still had no record him turning in the reduced income documents. So, he waited.
Yesterday he got the bill for the end of August, which is September’s payment. Still the same amount. He called the 800 number. Believe it or not, still no record he had ever turned the paperwork in. He was not happy but he was nice and calm and pretty much gave them his thoughts on the inadequacies of this whole incident. Then, he wrote our representative and senator and told them all the details and asked for their help. Doubtful . . I know.
This morning, he went back to the local office and, apparently, they were not surprised to see him. The guy he talked to was most apologetic. Took all the paperwork, assured Vince it would be handled appropriately. The guy took the papers and went to talk to the manager, who you would think after three trips to solve one issue, she would have personally spoken to Vince but, no . . didn’t happen. Anyway, the guy came back and told Vince they had already gotten a phone call before Vince got there and it would be dealt with.
Before Vince even got home (of course, he did have to go by Hobby Lobby), he got a phone call saying it had been resolved. Premium had been reduced. Extra amount paid would be refunded.
I know there have been horrendous problems with the V.A. I cannot imagine that government agencies in this country can be so inept and years and years of this, through administration after administration, both parties . . and it only gets worse. It seems that there’s no accountability, no one seems to have any responsibility, no one is held accountable, when you do get to talk to someone . . they don’t care. As citizens, most of us having paid social security for 40 or more years; or in the case of the V.A., these people have served our country . . and we have absolutely no recourse.
It is beyond frustrating. For us, it’s just trying to get the premiums reduced – at least for now. I cannot imagine how horrible it must be for those trying to get medical services and either getting no service or substandard services. It’s ridiculous.
I’ll be most anxious to hear what Rep. Conaway and Sen. Cruz have to say in response to Vince’s letters. Who wants to bet . . nothing, or possibly some form response that the send to every constituent complaint?
Ruth says
It really makes you wonder who is in charge in those government offices.
I know two women on welfare. One is nearer my age, kids all gone, the other has 4 kids, 10-3years. The first woman did not receive her rent money on the first of the month. It simply was not deposited to her account. The “authorities” had no idea why it wasn’t deposited. There hadn’t been any changes to her account. I asked if there would be a double rent deposit next month, once the problem was worked out. My friend said no, never. So the money simply disappeared into someone else’s pocket!!
The other friend tried to renew her son’s rx and the pharmacist told her that the medicaid insurance for all her children had been canceled. No notice, no letter, no phone call. Just no deposit. She is struggling to turn in the right paperwork to get it started up again.
This is just the month of August’s happenings. Both this month.
debbierhodes says
Maybe it’s the state because we had absolutely no trouble last year when we both turned 65 and no one I know has. Mom and dad had no issues dads medical bills before he passed had to be huge. Never had to pay a thing between social security and blue cross. I have a lot of friends no problems for them either.
Judy Laquidara says
Social Security is 100% federal. States have nothing to do with it. I think so long as everything is “ordinary”, there are no issues but once there’s something they have to do . . the trouble begins. The IRMAA is suppose to be reduced when you have a big change in your income and that’s all Vince was trying to do. No matter . . it should not take three trips and four months to do something that should have been simple.
Teri says
If you think that is bad wait until you go to DMV for your REAL ID drivers license….it took me 61/2 hours and I had an appointment…..
debbierhodes says
Oh my story on that I sat in line thinking I was getting REAL ID but when I got to the front of the line I found out the birth certificate I have used for 66 years wasn’t certified. I had to pay over $50.00 to get one sent to me from another state.
Rebecca in SoCal says
I have a friend who just posted on Facebook that she tried to make an appointment at the DMV so she could get her Real ID. One office’s first available was October 31; another October 13. Do they even send notice of renewal 3 months ahead?
Claudia Wade says
I hope you get a response from your elected representatives. It literally is their job to help their constituents when they have issues with the federal government. My member of Congress, Brad Schneider (IL-10th District) is always so helpful and responsive.
Marie Gilkey says
Three months was a helluva lot better than the three and a half years I had to wait on VA. Oh so much fun.
Wanda says
Yep this is about fight. They lost my paperwork three times. Last time like Vince I had a person sign each page and date they revived it.Also like you I had to get Congress Kevin Brady involved to get the problem fixed. So word of warning to everybody done let them mess you around . Just go ahead and get congressman\woman involved. Save yourself time and headaches. Sad they won’t help everybody the same they pick and choose who gets what they worked for all those years. .
Sheryl Till says
We have had a horrendous experience with SS and Chris. Chris should have started receiving SS benefits and Medicare when Donnie retired but we were told by SS that since he did not live with us, the rule didn’t apply. Not so as we found out last June. After a tremendous amount of paperwork submitted substantiating Chris’s disability since childhood and numerous calls, etc. they have finally (more than a year later) made a decision in Chris’s favor. They have to back-pay to Donnie’s retirement date over 3 years ago but will take out the SSI he was paid during that time frame (appropriately so) and he will get the difference in 3 lump sum payments. He will receive monthly payments effective Aug. 1 this year but SS works on a month delay system. Since Chris’s birthdate is Aug. 30th, he will not receive his first monthly payment until the 4th week of September. Can I say we are so tired of dealing with them?
Susan says
I did, at one time, have a problem with Social Security, with a name change. I finally wrote to my congressman, and he wrote back, as well as calling social security. The name change was fixed in about 10 days, after months of fighting with them! Vince may be surprised, if Texas politicians are as concerned about constituents as mine was, at the time.
Nelle Coursey says
Both of them will send you a form letter with their signature stamped on it by someone in their office saying they can’t do anything to help you, sorry about that. They are just like the people in the offices. They don’t want to be bothered by us little people. Now if you want to contribute $10,000 or more to their campaign funds that is a different story! Those people in the offices are so calloused by so many years of working with people they could care less about anyone that walks in. It is the same with all government jobs.They are burned out and the new people coming in just want to talk to their friends on the phone or text to them. Personal service and good customer service has gone by the wayside, unfortunately for us.
Kathleen Middleswart says
I like that you didn’t blame one party – said “both sides”. People tend to blame one party or the other for any and all problems, when really its the whole system.
Judy Laquidara says
Anyone who thinks it’s the problem of one party is being closed minded. These same things happen through all the recent administrations and no one does anything to solve it. Lots of lip service but the incompetence has not and probably will not be addressed. In the grand scheme of things, with wars and people starving and medical issues, it doesn’t sound like an overwhelming problem but when you think about how many Americans have to deal over and over and over with this nonsense, it is a big problem and it’s a problem that kicking the can down the road is never going to fix. Nope . . I don’t have a solution but I’m not the one who campaigns on solving the issues, nor am I the one getting paid the big bucks and getting the big perks and having the glorious health care that our elected officials have. They’re not doing what they said they would do and no one holds them accountable either!
PEGGY says
EXACTLY. And if anything *does* get done, it’ll just be Congress creating yet another useless but well-meaning law that simply complicates agency workers’ jobs, making them even more inefficient ….. every election I pray voters will just vote for someone NEW! I do. I don’t care anymore what they say they will or won’t do when they’re campaigning – I know if their lips are moving they’re likely lying. Either that or they’re new to politics and don’t know how to play the game. But if everyone simply voted for someone NEW each election, we could get rid of all the incumbents who are living like royalty off our taxes, and MAYBE things would start changing for the better. It’s doubtful, but if we the voters/taxpayers voted in all new senators and representatives MAYBE it would be the wake-up call those “civil servants” need. Aaarrgghhh!!!
Linda in NE says
Having been a library director for over 30 years I dealt with all levels of government from village up to federal. I came to the conclusion that the federal government especially hires a lot of people as a favor to some politician, not for their skills or desire to help citizens. Local doesn’t have the money to finance all the stuff they think is important so the library was the one that was supposed to do a lot with little. County at times had no idea where their money was going and just thought we were a nice group of ladies who should bring them cookies. (We never did.) State had grandiose ideas and never did figure out that what is possible for large well-funded libraries is just nonsense for small village libraries. The struggle when dealing with government at any level is real. To get anything done you have to be persistent beyond belief. Finally you get hold of that one golden person who actually knows what he/she is doing and is even willing to help you.
Jo Kramer says
Hardest is for people who don’t have the intelligence to advocate for themselves…I never realized there were so many people who can’t.
Pat Anderson says
We have had issues with both SS and Medicare. I don’t know that it is common knowledge that many people are receiving SS that weren’t born in this country and never paid in…that was a shock to me. We also are eligible to use the VA (my husband was in the AF for 26 1/2 years). The only thing he has received from the VA is hearing aides…their care is substandard and the military was afraid to touch him when he had his second heart attack and they found 3 blockages…after he retired the next year, a civilian cardiologist put in three stents. I worked to pay for our health insurance so he would never have to rely on the VA. More to the story, but you get my drift. We all were gullible and believed what we were told…I think we are all now seeing how corrupt the government is (and I am a retired gov’t employee). It’s sad.
Shirley Hobbs says
This is why I stayed on my husband’s work insurance. He is younger than me and still working. I did not want to deal with all the SS problems I have heard about from friends.