Q: My neighbor and I are both retired and get Social Security. We worked for the same employer for years, but he gets a higher Social Security benefit. Why is that?
A: Payments are based on earnings over your lifetime. Unless you are both the same age, started and stopped work on the exact same dates, and earned the very same amount every year, you would not get the same benefit as your neighbor. Social Security benefits are based on many years of earnings — generally your highest 35 years. To learn more about Social Security retirement benefits, go online to www.socialsecurity.gov and select the “Retirement” link.
Q: Will my Medicare coverage change because of the Affordable Care Act?
A: No, not at all. People who have Medicare coverage are not affected by the Affordable Care Act. Medicare is not a part of the Affordable Care Act’s Health Insurance Marketplace. If you are a Medicare beneficiary, your Medicare benefits are not changing. You do not need to replace your Medicare coverage with Marketplace coverage. For more information about the Marketplace, go online to www.healthcare.gov. For more information about Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D, go online to www.medicare.gov. You can also read the publication on Medicare at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs.
Send questions to Robert Fenn, Social Security Administration, Second Floor, Federal Building, 2 S. Main St., Akron, OH 44308. Fax: 330-375-5616 or email: Robert.Fenn@ssa.gov.
