If you get Extra Help with your Medicare prescription drug plan costs, Social Security may contact you periodically 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?
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 send you a review form in August 2011 and you return the review form within 30 days, any necessary adjustment to your Extra Help will be effective in January 2012.
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 also may visit your local Social Security office for assistance.
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?
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, visit www.socialsecurity.gov or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778). 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, visit www.medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048).
Our website is a valuable resource for information about all of Social Security’s programs. There are a number of things you can do online.
In addition to using our website, you can call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213. We treat all calls confidentially. We can answer specific questions from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday. Generally, you’ll have a shorter wait time if you call during the week after Tuesday. We can provide information by automated phone service 24 hours a day. (You can use our automated response system to tell us a new address or request a replacement Medicare card.) If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778.
We also want to make sure you receive accurate and courteous service. That is why we have a second Social Security representative monitor some telephone calls.
