Found! - 26th Copy of the American Declaration of Independence

I was catching up on the news this morning and learned that another copy of the Declaration of Independence has been found in the British National Archives. I can almost feel the excitement the finder must have felt to come upon such a historic document.

What manner of miracle is this that the finding of this wonderful document is announced only two days before America celebrates her 233rd birthday.

An unidentified researcher was doing unrelated research when the document was discovered in some late 18th century files in the British National Archives.  While it seems unlikely this particular document will ever be sold, the last print found was auctioned off in 2000 for a cool $8.14 million dollars.

These documents are known as Dunlap Broadsides and named after the Philadelphia printer John Dunlap who was commissioned to print them. A broadside for this purpose is basically a large sheet of paper much like what we call a poster today. Many of these broadsides, reflecting a rush to get them distributed, have imperfections such as reversed watermarks, misplaced punctuations and dark creases that look like the posters were folded before the ink dried.

Archive spokeswoman Katrina McClintok said the document was found months ago but the find had not been announced until it had been “extracted and catalogued”.

Here’s a picture in case you’ve never seen one.

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Medicare – Health Insurance For The 65 and Over Age Group

This is the last installment in a series with general information about Medicare. Other articles covering Medicare Parts B and D can be found at the website shown below in the authors’ information.

Medicare is the main insurance for people 65 and older and also provides coverage for some people with disabilities. It is the nation’s largest health insurance program - covering around 39-40 million Americans.

To be eligible you must be a citizen of the United States and meet certain requirements. Medicare is health insurance offered by the federal government to people who are older than 65 and eligible. Some younger people who have disabilities, permanent kidney failure or Lou Gehrig’s disease can also qualify. Medicare is a government insurance program that covers Americans who are 65 and older. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill creating Medicare on July 30, 1965. At that time, only half of America’s elderly had any health insurance.

Medicare serves all eligible beneficiaries without regard to income or medical history. Most individuals ages 65 and over are automatically entitled to Medicare Part A (the Hospital Insurance Program) if they or their spouse are eligible for Social Security payments. Medicare then cost more than 800% over projections! This was a medical insurance plan which was intended to pay for itself but instead had become a Federal entitlement. Medicare supplemental health insurance plans can also cover your Medicare Part A deductible, extra days of hospital care, your Medicare co-payment amounts, skilled nursing and foreign travel emergency care.

Medicare is complicated — with many exceptions, provisions, rules, limitations, and so forth — making it seemingly impossible to unravel. The wise senior citizen will get assistance long before the time comes to enroll in Medicare.

Medicare HMOs cover the same doctor and hospital services as the original Medicare program, but out-of-pocket costs for these services are usually different. HMOs appeal to some people with Medicare because they may provide additional benefits, such as eyeglasses, which are not covered by the traditional Medicare program. Medicare has moved from that approach to one that rewards quality outcomes. To help achieve these improved outcomes, starting in 2009, Medicare will be rewarding prescribers who utilize an approved electronic prescribing system. Medicare covers many different types of medical costs. This includes things like durable medical equipment , doctors visits, and hospital stays.

Medicare pays for all covered expenses after the deductible for the first 60 days of hospitalization. After 60 days of a hospital stay Medicare pays for coinsurance amounts up to a total of 150 days. Medicare Part B is optional and requires a monthly premium. It covers certain medical and outpatient services, including physician care. Medicare is split into a number of parts. Most people get Medicare Part A without having to pay extra fees, and it covers some of the costs of hospitalization.

To learn more about Medicare see my other articles here on this website.

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Medicare Part B - What is it and other important information?

Second in a series of basic Medicare information, I started sort of at the end with Medicare Part D because more people were asking for information about it than parts A, B or C.  Part B is the second most searched for so here’s what I know about it.

What is Medicare Part B?
Medicare Part B is a federal health insurance program additional to Medicare Part A that helps pay for some services and products not covered by Part A, generally on an outpatient basis. This voluntary program requires a insurance premium and covers doctor and outpatient services. Medicare is a social insurance program administered by the United States government, providing health insurance coverage to people who are aged 65 and over. There are some others, under age 65, who meet other special criteria and are eligible for Part B, but this article does not cover those people. Medicare operates as a single-payer health care system.  Simply put, the American taxpayer pays the bills through the Federal government which in turn has contracts with private companies to handle the paperwork.

Medicare  is voluntary, and those who enroll in it have the premiums ($96.40 per month in 2009) deducted from their Social Security monthly payments. Part B Medicare covers charges by physicians, laboratory tests and X-rays among other non-hospital charges.  Many people with other health insurance will decline Part B Medical coverage, thinking that with the other health insurance, they may not need to pay for it. That may or may not be true. It depends on the source and type of the other health insurance. Keep in mind that if you defer signing up for Medicare Part B you may be subject to a lifetime penalty (10% per year) should you join later.

When and where do I sign up?
1. If you already get Social Security benefits - You will not need to do anything. You will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B effective the month you are 65. For example, if your 65th birthday is February 20, 2001, your Medicare effective date would be February 1, 2001. (Note: if your birthday is on the 1st day of any month, Medicare Part A and Part B will be effective the 1st day of the prior month. For example, if your 65th birthday is February 1, 2001, your Medicare effective date would be January 1, 2001.) Your Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your 65th birthday. If you do not want Medicare Part B, follow the instructions that come with the card. For complete information on enrollment see the Initial Enrollment Package section.

2. You want to apply for both Social Security Retirement Benefits and Medicare - If you are close to age 65 and not yet getting Social Security benefits or Medicare, you can apply for both at the same time. To make sure that your Medicare Part B coverage start date is not delayed, you should apply three months before the month you turn 65. This is the beginning of your 7 month Initial Enrollment Period. If you wait until you are 65, or in the last 3 months of your Initial Enrollment Period, your Medicare Part B coverage start date will be delayed.

To apply, you can call or visit your local Social Security office or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. You can apply online (using the Internet) if you meet certain rules. To apply online, visit www.socialsecurity.gov. You must answer a series of questions that will tell if you can apply online. For example, you must be at least 61 years and 9 months old; plan to start receiving Social Security retirement benefits within the next 4 months; live in the United States or one of its territories/commonwealths; agree to get your Social Security benefits by direct deposit to your bank or other financial institution. You must answer some other questions as well.

What does Medicare Part B cover?
Part B coverage includes physician and nursing services, x-rays, laboratory and diagnostic tests, influenza and pneumonia vaccinations, blood transfusions, renal dialysis, outpatient hospital procedures, limited ambulance transportation, Immunosuppressive drugs for organ transplant recipients, chemotherapy, hormonal treatments such as Lupron, and other outpatient medical treatments administered in a doctor’s office. Medication administration is covered under Part B only if it is administered by the physician during an office visit.
Part B also helps with durable medical equipment (DME), including canes, walkers, wheelchairs, and mobility scooters for those with mobility impairments. Prosthetic devices such as artificial limbs and breast prosthesis following mastectomy, as well as one pair of eyeglasses following cataract surgery, and oxygen for home use is also covered. Complex rules are used to manage the benefit, and advisories are periodically issued which describe coverage criteria.

What does Medicare Part B cost?
The monthly cost for 2009 Part B is $96.40. The amount is automatically deducted from your regular Social Security Insurance benefit each month. For 2009, higher Medicare Part B premiums apply to anyone with a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeding $85,000 for single taxpayers and $170,000 for married filing joint income tax returns.

Single Taxpayers with MAGI:
• Less than $85,000 will continue to pay 25% or $96.40 per month.
• $85,001 to $107,000 will pay 35% or $134.90
• $107,001 to $160,000 will pay 50% or $192.70.
• $160,001 to $213,000 will pay 65% or $250.50.
• Over $213,000 will pay 80% or $308.30.

Married Filing Joint Taxpayers with MAGI:
• Less than $170,000 will continue to pay 25% or $96.40 per month.
• $170,001 to $214,000 will pay 35% or $134.90.
• $214,001 to $320,000 will pay 50% or $192.70.
• $320,001 to $426,000 will pay 65% or $250.50.
• Over $426,000 will pay 80% or $308.30.

That’s all for Medicare Part B. The next article will cover Medicare Part A. I hope this helps you more than it confuses you.
Sources used for this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicare_(United_States)
http://www.hhs.gov/faq/medicaremedicaid/1668.html
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/apps/media/press/factsheet.asp?Counter=3272

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Having Trouble Finding Social Security? Here’s A List Of Website Addresses To Help

Third in a series of posts about Social Security, hopefully this will help you find what you are looking for.

The Social Security Administration (SSA) isn’t really hiding, it’s just like any other government office. The size of this bureaucracy just makes it hard to navigate. The main website page is right here.  http://www.ssa.gov/

You can also select Spanish and other languages from this page if you don’t read English well. The links on the left side of the page take you to many resources on this site, but I have made a list here to help you get where you need to go. Hopefully, my list gets you there a little faster.

I made this list by finding out what people are searching for about Social Security on the Internet, so if the list doesn’t have what you need, please go to the main Social Security website using the link in the previous paragraph.

The second most searched for subject is the locations and phone numbers for SSA offices. The place to find those is here.  https://secure.ssa.gov/apps6z/FOLO/fo001.jsp

When I entered my Zip Code and clicked the link, I got a lot of good information about the nearest Social Security office. There was even a map of the general area as well as a link to find other related information that I might need such as housing, meal assistance, etc.

The form is easy enough to use. You just enter your zip code and click on the locate button. One thing that seemed odd to me was the link on this page that said “Special Instructions for Users Who Are Blind”. Am I missing something here? How does a blind person see this link so they can know it’s there and use it? Life is full of mysteries like this.

Before I move on, let me tell you a little secret about which SSA office to use if you need to go to one in person. I live in a small town near a large city. We don’t have a Social Security office, so the nearest one is in a big city. It’s a real problem because the office is usually crowded and driving in big city traffic can be a real hassle. What I did was find another office in a smaller city near me and went there. It was a little more of a drive, but avoiding the traffic and waiting in line made it worth it.

The last thing to cover here is about online forms and publications. The web page is here. http://www.ssa.gov/pgm/formspubs.htm Some things can be done online so check it out. Maybe this will save you a trip to the big city. You’ll also find links to publications in English and other languages.

I hope this makes it a little easier for you to find what you need. Until next time, take care and be safe.

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Social Security Death Index

2nd In A Series About Social Security

The Social Security Administration (SSA) maintains a national file of death information. They call it rather grimly the Death Master File (DMF).

Here’s what the Social Administration website says. Under the Freedom of Information Act, we are required to disclose the DMF to members of the public. Like most things you hear or read from the government, there’s more to this story.  First off, while it may be true that you can get information about a deceased person, the word Freedom in Freedom of Information Act does not mean the information is free. For that matter, it doesn’t even mean the information in the records is accurate or even exists for the person you need information about.

If you are trying to get information about a deceased person, the best information you can give the SSA is the Social Security number of that person. If you don’t have that, here’s what they say you need. “When a Social Security Number cannot be provided we can still search for a person’s records by using the individual’s full name, date and place of birth, and parents’ names (including mother’s maiden name).”

If you can provide this information SSA will search their records to determine whether or not they have the record you need. The SSA can’t help you if the person you are searching for died before 1936 or was born before 1865 unless you provide the SSN.

If SSA has what you need, this is what you get for your time and money.
A copy of the Application for a Social Security Card (Form SS-5). This document contains the person’s name, date and place of birth, and parents’ names that were given when he or she applied for the number.

And this is what the service costs:
Searching for the SS-5 application and you know and provide to SSA the person’s Social Security number (SSN): $27.00
Searching for the SS-5 application and you do not know the person’s SSN but can provide other identifying information: $29.00
Searching for a claims file and you know and provide to SSA the person’s SSN: $14.00 (Claims files are usually destroyed within a few years of the final decision on a claim.)
Cost per page for photocopying material from the claim file: $.10
Cost of the actual postage (To be determined)

What guarantee do you get from the government that you will get any information that you request?
NONE. Here’s what they say. The search fee will be charged even if we are unable to locate or disclose any information. If you want us to search for these records, please send a written request along with a check or money order payable to the Social Security Administration. They also will accept the following credit cards: VISA, MasterCard or Discover. Please include the appropriate credit card number, along with the expiration date of the credit card. We will advise you of any additional charges if appropriate.

A Better Place To Start Your Search
I found a website that let me enter what I knew and with my father’s full name and dates of birth and death I got his Social Security number. The website is  http://stevemorse.org/ssdi/ssdi.html.

There was also a link out to Search Ancestry.com where I could sign up for a 14-day trial membership and if I wanted to stay a member I’d be charged $12.95/month.

I’m not recommending Search Ancestry.com and currently have no affiliation with them. I just wanted to show you one option for finding about deceased family or friends.

I don’t know exactly what my next article will be about, but I know a lot of retired people must be wondering if their Social Security benefits will come under attack from law makers. So, I’ll be looking to see what others are concerned about and try to give you something useful.

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