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A Valuable Gift For
Mom
By
Delia De Mello |
 Mother’s
Day is a treasured day in May. It’s always nice to give Mom
a card, flowers and candy. But this year people all over the
country are helping their moms save nearly $4,000 a year on
the cost of prescription drugs. You can help your mom, too,
and it won’t cost you a dime. The high cost of prescription
medication can be a burden on mothers (or anyone) who have
limited income and resources. But there is “Extra Help” –
available through Social Security – that could pay part of
her monthly premiums, annual deductibles and prescription
co-payments. Extra Help is worth an average of almost $4,000
a year.
To figure out whether your mother is eligible, Social
Security needs to know her income and the value of her
savings, investments and real estate (other than the home
she lives in). To qualify for Extra Help, she must be
enrolled in Medicare and have:
• Income limited to $16,335 for an individual or
$22,065 for a married couple living together. Even if her
annual income is higher, she still may be able to get some
help with monthly premiums, annual deductibles and
prescription co-payments. Some examples where income may be
higher include: if she (or her spouse) support other family
members who live with her/them, has earnings from work or
lives in Alaska or Hawaii;
• Resources limited to $12,640 for an individual or
$25,260 for a married couple living together. Resources
include such things as bank accounts, stocks and bonds.
Social Security does not count her house and car as
resources.
Social Security has an easy-to-use online application that
you can help your mom complete. You can find it at
www.socialsecurity. gov. Select the link on the left of the
page that says, “Get extra help with Medicare prescription
drug costs.” To apply by phone or to have an application
mailed to you, call (800) 772- 1213 (TTY (800) 325-0778) and
ask for the Application for Help with Medicare Prescription
Drug Plan Costs (SSA-1020). You can also go to a local
Social Security office. • To learn more about the Medicare
prescription drug plans and special enrollment periods,
visit www.medicare.gov or call (800) MEDICARE ((800)
633-4227). The TTY number is (877) 486-2048. This May, give
your mom a gift she can really use year-round – savings of
up to $4,000 a year on her prescription drugs. Flowers
wither and candy is consumed, but the Extra Help through
Social Security will keep on giving all year long.
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About The Author
Delia M.
De Mello has been with the Social Security Administration
since 1986. She was recently promoted to Metropolitan Public
Affairs Specialist and a member of the Office of
Communication’s Multi Language Review team, which translates
and reviews SSA publications in all spoken languages. For
more information, please call (800) 772-1213 or visit
www.socialsecurity.gov.
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