What are you referring to?

New and old customers ask a lot of questions about commercials or advertisements on social media about the benefit of whether people can receive $164.00 per month on their Social Security check.

Remember, we are in the Medicare Annual Period and the commercials and posts all over social media are looking for opportunities to help people with their plan choices, but how true is this benefit that you can receive $164.00 per month on your Social Security check?

First of all, you know that the Part B premium this year has a cost of $170.10 and for next year it is going to have a slightly lower cost as it will be $164.90. So, do you see the coincidence? From the publications $164.00 and the Medicare Part B premium at $164.90. Actually, what these publications are referring to is more directed at people who have Medicaid or who qualify for the State Medicare Savings Programs Program. Actually, it is this state program that reimburses or pays for Medicare Part B for those people who qualify for this program, who are low-income people who apply for this benefit from Social Security. This, in reality, is what these commercials or advertisements are referring to.

There are people who sometimes have these benefits from state programs and have no idea they have them.

If you have not applied for this program and think you may qualify, you can do so by contacting the Social Security office and applying for the Medicare Savings Programs. Each State has its own eligibility requirements, but remember that this is a low-income program and each State may have its own eligibility limits.

In total, there are four levels of assistance offered by the States to help these people. Among them is a program, the program called QMB which is the Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program and you can access your benefits if your income as a single, living alone, if you have an income of $1,153.00 per month. And if you are married, living with your spouse, the income has to be no higher than $1,546.00 to qualify.

There is also the Specified Low-Income Targeted Beneficiary Program or its acronym in English, which is SLMB. The income for a single person living alone is $1,379.00. If you are married and living with your spouse, it should be $1,851.00.

Another program is the Qualified Individuals Programits acronym in English is the QI and the income must not exceed $1,549.00 if single or $2,080.00 if married, living together.

The last program, which is less common, is the Disabled Individuals and Qualified Employees Program(QDWI) and who can have a higher income. For example, $4,615.00 for a single person and $6,189.00 for a married person.

So what do these programs do? They help you with Part A and Part B premium costs, as well as deductibles, insurance and co-pays related to Parts A and B.

So, definitely if you see these commercials, you should be sure of the information that they're going to give you, because some people get confused and they call but they're offered a reimbursement plan. But keep in mind, if you know your current plan and you know what the different costs are, especially what the out-of-pocket maximum of the plan is, you'll know the benefits with the costs of the plan that offers you a rebate. Why? Because the costs may tend to be a little higher.

If you need help looking at your Medicare plan options for next year, remember that the Medicare Annual Period extends to the December 7thSo don't wait until the last minute, because everything can get congested and you may not be able to attend to so many people at the last minute, so schedule your appointment in time.

If you don't have a local agency and prefer to do it over the phone, it's a super easy way: call us at Avila Medicare Solutions, it's our specialty, to do these reviews and help people in their transition to Medicare, to make this process easier, to educate you and for you to understand and know what your benefits are with Medicare without so many complications and we do it in a broken down way.

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Our local number is 512-520-5957 or you can call us on our toll free number which is 855-GO-AVILA. We are here to serve you.