Social Security finally refunded my Medicare premium overpayment after 5 months - check your statements!
Just wanted to share a win with the SSA payment system! I started receiving my SS retirement benefits in February 2025 after delaying past my FRA. When I turned 66 last year, I enrolled in Medicare even though I wasn't taking benefits yet, which meant I was paying premiums directly (3 months in advance as they require). What I didn't realize until checking my bank statement today - SSA just deposited $437.70 to my account! Turns out there was a 2-month overlap where I had pre-paid Medicare premiums, but then they started deducting them from my monthly benefit instead. I honestly wasn't tracking this closely and probably wouldn't have noticed if the money hadn't appeared. The refund took about 5 months to process, so if you've transitioned from paying Medicare premiums directly to having them deducted from benefits, double-check your statements! They DO refund overpayments, but you might be waiting a while.
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NeonNebula
same thing happeend to me but it took 7 months to get my money back. SSA moves at snail pace for everything lol
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Diego Chavez
•7 months! I guess I should consider myself lucky with only 5. Did they notify you it was coming or did it just show up like mine did?
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Anastasia Kozlov
Thanks for sharing this. I'm about to go through the same transition (turning 65 next month but not taking SS until my FRA at 67). Did you have to call them about the overlapping payments or did they figure it out automatically?
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Diego Chavez
•They actually figured it out on their own! I didn't have to call or file anything, which honestly surprised me given how manual most SSA processes seem to be.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•That's reassuring. I've been dreading having to call and sit on hold for hours trying to get this sorted out. I'll make sure to keep all my Medicare premium payment records just in case.
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Sean Kelly
This is a common occurrence with Medicare premium transitions. What happened is that when you started receiving retirement benefits, the system automatically switched your Medicare premium payment method from direct billing to benefit deduction. The refund process is automated but backlogged. One thing to note - the refund amount should exactly match your premium amount multiplied by the number of overlap months. If there's any discrepancy, you should contact SSA as there might be an error in their calculation. Also, for anyone reading who's about to make this transition, you can actually request that SSA expedite this refund by visiting your local office with proof of the duplicate payments. The standard processing time is 3-6 months, but I've seen cases resolved in 3-4 weeks with the right documentation.
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Zara Mirza
•I tried visiting my local office for this EXACT issue and they told me they couldn't help!!! said i had to wait for the system to "process it automatically" which is RIDICULOUS. ended up waiting 4 months for $350 that was MINE to begin with!!!
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Luca Russo
wait did you get interest on that money? they held onto YOUR money for 5 months, seems like they should pay interest
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Nia Harris
•Haha, interest from the government? Good one! I'm still waiting for them to process a simple name change after my divorce SIX MONTHS ago. Everything with SSA moves at glacier speed, and they certainly don't pay interest on anything they owe you. They'll charge you interest if you owe them though!
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Sean Kelly
•Actually, SSA doesn't typically pay interest on Medicare premium refunds. However, if you experience an underpayment of actual Social Security benefits (different from premium refunds), you may be entitled to interest if the underpayment meets certain criteria and timeframes. But for Medicare premium refunds like this situation, no interest is applied.
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GalaxyGazer
I went through something similar but with a much larger overpayment amount that wasn't being resolved. After struggling to reach anyone at SSA by phone for weeks (constant busy signals, disconnects, and 3+ hour hold times), I discovered a service called Claimyr that got me connected to an actual SSA agent in about 20 minutes. The agent was able to verify my overpayment was in the system and gave me a timeline for when I could expect the refund. Saved me countless hours of frustration. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU or just go to claimyr.com. Completely changed my experience with reaching SSA by phone.
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Luca Russo
•does this actually work? ive been trying to get thru to ssa for 2 weeks about my missing direct deposit
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Anastasia Kozlov
I'm worried now because I just realized I've been paying Medicare premiums directly for 3 months since turning 65, but I just filed for retirement benefits last week. Should I call SSA to let them know about the potential overlap or just wait for them to figure it out like they did for you?
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Sean Kelly
•You don't need to call specifically about this issue. When your retirement benefits are approved, the system will automatically register that you've paid premiums in advance and should process a refund for any overlap. Just make sure to keep documentation of all your Medicare premium payments in case you need to verify the refund amount later.
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Anastasia Kozlov
•Thank you! That's a relief. The whole process of coordinating Medicare and Social Security timing has been so confusing. Appreciate the clear explanation.
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NeonNebula
my freind got a bigger refund like $900+ from SSA for the same thing but shes on SSDI not retirement. wonder if thats why hers was more???
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Diego Chavez
•Hmm, that's interesting. I think the refund amount just depends on your premium amount and how many months of overlap there were. My Part B premium is the standard amount, but if she has higher income or additional parts of Medicare, that might explain the difference.
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Nia Harris
•The difference is probably because Medicare premiums vary based on income levels. If your friend has Parts B & D plus an IRMAA surcharge due to higher income, her monthly premiums would be much higher than the base amount, resulting in a larger refund for the same overlap period. IRMAA can add $200-500+ per month depending on income tier.
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