Social Security, Medicare & Government Pensions: Get the Most of Your Retirement and Medical Benefits ~10th Edition

Table of Contents......Page 10
Introduction......Page 16
1. Social Security: The Basics......Page 22
A. History of Social Security......Page 24
B. Social Security Defined......Page 26
C. Eligibility for Benefits......Page 27
D. Earning Work Credits......Page 32
E. Determining Your Benefit Amount......Page 34
F. Your Social Security Earnings Record......Page 36
G. Reading Your Social Security Statement......Page 38
H. Correcting Your Record......Page 42
J. Receiving Benefits as a Noncitizen......Page 44
2. Social Security Retirement Benefits......Page 48
A. Work Credits Required......Page 49
B. Timing Your Retirement......Page 51
C. The Amount of Your Retirement Check......Page 58
D. Working After Claiming Retirement Benefits......Page 61
3. Social Security Disability Benefits......Page 64
A. Who Is Eligible......Page 66
B. What Is a Disability......Page 69
C. Amount of Disability Benefit Payments......Page 74
D. Collecting Additional Benefits......Page 76
E. Review of Your Eligibility......Page 78
F. Returning to Work......Page 79
4. Social Security Dependents Benefits......Page 82
A. Who Is Eligible......Page 83
B. Calculating Dependents Benefits......Page 85
C. Eligibility for More Than One Benefit......Page 86
E. Public Employee Pension Offset......Page 87
5. Social Security Survivors Benefits......Page 90
A. Who Is Eligible......Page 91
B. Whether the Deceased Had Enough Work Credits......Page 92
C. Amount of Survivors Benefits......Page 94
D. Eligibility for More Than One Benefit......Page 96
E. Working While Receiving Benefits......Page 97
F. Offset for Public Employment Pension......Page 98
6. Supplemental Security Income......Page 100
A. Who Is Eligible......Page 101
B. Benefit Amounts......Page 106
C. Reductions to Benefits......Page 108
7. Applying for Benefits......Page 110
A. Retirement, Dependents, and Survivors Benefits......Page 111
B. Disability Benefits......Page 117
C. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)......Page 121
D. Finding Out What Happens to Your Claim......Page 122
8. Appealing a Social Security Decision......Page 126
A. Reconsideration of Decision......Page 128
B. Administrative Hearing......Page 133
C. Appeal to the National Appeals Council......Page 138
D. Lawsuit in Federal Court......Page 139
E. Lawyers and Other Assistance......Page 141
9. Federal Civil Service Retirement Benefits......Page 146
B. Retirement Benefits......Page 148
C. Disability Benefits to Federal Workers......Page 159
D. Payments to Surviving Family Members......Page 161
E. Applying for CSRS or FERS Benefits......Page 163
10. Veterans Benefits......Page 164
A. Types of Military Service Required......Page 165
B. Compensation for Service-Connected Disability......Page 166
D. Survivors Benefits......Page 169
E. Medical Treatment......Page 170
F. Getting Information and Applying for Benefits......Page 172
11. Medicare......Page 174
A. The Medicare Maze......Page 177
B. Medicare: The Basics......Page 178
C. Part A Hospital Insurance......Page 182
D. How Much Medicare Part A Pays......Page 191
E. Part B Medical Insurance......Page 196
F. How Much Medicare Part B Pays......Page 205
G. Help With Prescription Drug Costs......Page 211
12. Medicare Procedures: Enrollment, Claims, and Appeals......Page 222
A. Enrolling in Part A Hospital Insurance......Page 223
B. Enrolling in Part B Medical Insurance......Page 226
C. Medicare’s Payment of Your Medical Bills......Page 227
D. Paying Your Share of the Bill......Page 231
E. How to Read a Medicare Summary Notice......Page 232
F. Appealing the Denial of a Claim......Page 236
G. State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIP)......Page 250
13. Medigap Insurance......Page 252
A. Gaps in Medicare......Page 254
B. Standard Medigap Benefit Plans......Page 255
C. Terms and Conditions of Medigap Policies......Page 264
D. Finding the Best Medicare Supplement......Page 268
14. Medicare Managed Care Plans......Page 274
A. The Structure of Managed Care......Page 276
B. Choosing a Medicare Managed Care Plan......Page 279
C. Comparing Medigap and Managed Care Plans......Page 286
D. Your Rights When Joining, Leaving, or Losing Managed Care Coverage......Page 289
15. Medicaid and State Supplements to Medicare......Page 292
B. Who Is Eligible......Page 294
C. Medical Costs Covered by Medicaid......Page 298
D. Requirements for Coverage......Page 299
E. Cost of Medicaid Coverage......Page 300
F. Other State Assistance......Page 302
G. Applying for Medicaid, QMB, SLMB, or QI......Page 303
H. What to Do If You Are Denied Coverage......Page 305
Index......Page 306
Related Products......Page 324