Social Security survivor benefits deducting Medicare premiums I already paid - double charged?

When I got widow's benefits last year, something similar happened. The SSA automatically deducts Medicare premiums from Social Security payments, but they don't know if you've already paid them another way. You need to call them ASAP and explain you paid directly, so you're being double-charged. They should reimburse you, but it might take a while. Getting through on the phone is a NIGHTMARE though!

had same problem!! they took out $183 evry month from my backpay even tho i already paid it thru my retirement account. took 3 months to get the money back but they did fix it eventually

This is actually a standard issue with retroactive benefit payments. What's happening is the system automatically deducts Medicare premiums from Social Security benefits. Since you received retroactive benefits covering several months, the system deducted all those months' premiums at once. The key here is that SSA doesn't automatically know you've been paying your Medicare premiums directly. You need to contact SSA and inform them you've been paying your Medicare premiums separately. They will verify this with CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and refund the duplicate premiums. Bring or send proof of your Medicare premium payments for the months in question. They should be able to process an adjustment and return the overpaid amount to you in a future payment.

My mom went through EXACTLY this last yr. She paid directly to Medicare for 2 yrs, then started SS and they took out premiums again. Social Security and Medicare don't talk to each other apparently 🙄

I had this issue when I started my survivor benefits in 2024. What you're experiencing is called "Medicare premium duplicate billing." Here's what to do: 1. Contact Social Security directly and explain the situation 2. Request a "Medicare Premium Billing Adjustment" 3. Provide bank statements or receipts showing you paid Medicare directly for those months 4. Ask them to coordinate with Medicare to update your payment preference going forward Moving forward, you'll probably want the premiums deducted from your monthly SS payment (it's easier than paying separately), but you should get a refund for the duplicated months. The refund usually comes as an adjustment to a future payment rather than a separate check. Also, make sure your Medicare enrollment status is set to "direct deduction from benefits" going forward to avoid confusion.

Try using Claimyr to reach SSA faster about your Medicare premium issue. I had this exact problem, spent days trying to get through. Used their service at claimyr.com and got a callback from SSA in under 2 hours. They have a video showing how it works here: https://youtu.be/Z-BRbJw3puU The SSA agent told me this Medicare double-billing happens a lot with survivor benefits. They fixed mine right away once I actually got through to someone.

AVOID CALLING!!! Go to your local SSA office in person with your Medicare payment records. I spent weeks trying to fix this same issue by phone and got nowhere. Went in person and they fixed it in 20 minutes. They'll process what they call a "premium refund request" and you should get the money back within 1-2 payment cycles. The SSA system and Medicare system don't communicate well about who's paying what. It's a MESS!!! And don't even get me started on how they mess up IRMAA calculations too...

Just wondering - is the $1,380 exactly the total of the monthly Medicare premiums for those months? Because standard Part B is about $174/month in 2025, and for 8 months that would be around $1,392. If your deduction is slightly different, it might be because of income-related adjustments (IRMAA) based on your tax returns from 2 years ago.

I remember when my dad had this EXACT problem after my mom passed. Everyone here is giving good advice, but I want to add: SAVE COPIES OF EVERYTHING. My dad had to submit his proof THREE TIMES before they finally fixed it. The SSA is terrible about losing documents. If you mail anything, send it certified mail so you have proof they received it!

Update: Just wanted to report back that I got my Medicare premium issue resolved! I finally got through to SSA (took three attempts), and the representative confirmed this was a duplicate billing situation. They filed an adjustment request, and I received the refunded premiums in my next month's payment. They also switched my Medicare billing to come directly from my monthly survivor benefits going forward, which is much more convenient. Thanks to everyone for your advice - especially the tip about specifically asking for a "Medicare premium billing adjustment" - the agent knew exactly what I meant!

I'm so sorry for your loss, Emma. This Medicare premium double-billing issue is unfortunately very common with survivor benefits, and you're absolutely right to question it. The Social Security Administration and Medicare systems don't communicate well with each other, so when you receive retroactive benefits, SSA automatically deducts Medicare premiums without knowing you've already been paying them directly. I went through something similar when I started receiving disability benefits. Here's what worked for me: Call SSA and specifically ask for a "Medicare Premium Refund" or "Premium Billing Adjustment." Have your bank statements ready showing the direct Medicare payments you made for those months. They'll need to verify with Medicare that you were indeed paying directly, but once they do, they should refund the duplicate charges. The good news is that once this gets straightened out, you can choose to have your Medicare premiums automatically deducted from your monthly survivor benefits going forward - it's actually much more convenient than paying separately. Hang in there, and don't give up if the first call doesn't resolve it. Sometimes it takes persistence with government agencies!

Emma, I'm so sorry for your loss. What you're experiencing is definitely a Medicare premium double-billing issue that happens frequently with survivor benefits. The SSA system automatically deducts Medicare premiums from retroactive payments without checking if you've already been paying them directly to Medicare. I had a similar situation when I started receiving my own Social Security benefits after years of paying Medicare premiums directly. The key is to contact SSA immediately and explain that you've been paying your Medicare premiums separately. They'll need to verify this with Medicare and should refund the duplicate charges. Make sure to gather all your Medicare payment records (bank statements, canceled checks, etc.) for the months in question. When you call, specifically mention "Medicare premium duplicate billing" or ask for a "premium refund adjustment." Having the right terminology really helps when dealing with SSA representatives. The silver lining is that once this gets resolved, you can have your Medicare premiums automatically deducted from your monthly survivor benefits going forward, which is much more convenient than managing separate payments. Good luck, and don't get discouraged if it takes a few tries to get through to someone who can help!

Emma, I'm so sorry for your loss. This Medicare premium issue you're experiencing is unfortunately very common with survivor benefits. What's happening is that SSA's system automatically deducts Medicare premiums from any Social Security payments without checking whether you've already been paying Medicare directly. I work as a benefits counselor and see this exact scenario regularly. The $1,380 deduction from your retroactive benefits is almost certainly the Medicare Part B premiums for those 8 months (about $174/month). Since you've been paying directly to Medicare since age 65, you're absolutely being double-charged. Here's what you need to do: Contact SSA and specifically request a "Medicare Premium Overpayment Refund." Have your bank statements or payment records ready for all the months they deducted (August 2024 through your application date). They'll verify with Medicare that you were paying directly and process a refund. Going forward, I'd recommend switching to automatic deduction from your monthly survivor benefits - it's one less thing to manage during this difficult time. The refund typically comes as an adjustment in a future payment rather than a separate check. Don't give up if the first representative doesn't immediately understand the issue. This is a known problem in their system, and any experienced SSA agent should be able to help you once you explain it clearly.

Emma, I'm so sorry for the loss of your husband. What you're experiencing is unfortunately a very common issue with survivor benefits - Medicare premium double billing. The SSA system automatically deducts Medicare premiums from retroactive benefit payments without checking if you've already been paying them directly to Medicare. I went through something very similar when I started receiving my retirement benefits after paying Medicare premiums directly for several years. The $1,380 deduction sounds exactly right for Medicare Part B premiums over those 8 months (roughly $172-174 per month). Here's what worked for me: Call SSA and specifically ask for a "Medicare Premium Duplicate Payment Adjustment." Have your bank statements or Medicare payment records ready for August 2024 through February 2025. They'll need to verify with Medicare that you were indeed paying directly, but once confirmed, they should process a refund. The adjustment usually comes as a credit in a future monthly payment rather than a separate check. Also, consider switching to automatic Medicare premium deduction from your monthly survivor benefits going forward - it's much more convenient and prevents this kind of confusion. Don't get discouraged if it takes a few calls to reach someone who fully understands the issue. This is a known system problem, and any experienced SSA representative should be able to help you resolve it quickly once you explain it properly.

I'm so sorry for your loss, Emma. This Medicare premium double-billing issue is incredibly frustrating and unfortunately very common with survivor benefits. The same thing happened to my neighbor when she started receiving widow's benefits - SSA deducted about $1,200 for Medicare premiums she had already paid directly. What's happening is that SSA's computer system automatically deducts Medicare premiums from any retroactive Social Security payments without cross-checking whether you're already paying Medicare directly. It's a major flaw in how their systems communicate with each other. Based on what others have shared here, you'll want to call SSA and use specific terminology like "Medicare Premium Overpayment Refund" or "Premium Billing Adjustment." Have all your bank statements ready showing your direct Medicare payments for those months. The representatives seem to understand the issue better when you use their exact terminology. One tip that hasn't been mentioned yet: if you're having trouble getting through by phone, try calling right when they open at 7 AM local time. The wait times are usually much shorter first thing in the morning. Good luck getting this resolved - you shouldn't have to pay twice for the same coverage!

Emma, I'm so sorry for your loss. What you're experiencing is definitely a Medicare premium double-billing situation that happens frequently with survivor benefits. When SSA processes retroactive payments, their system automatically deducts Medicare premiums without checking if you've already been paying them directly to Medicare. I had this exact same issue when I started receiving my disability benefits after years of paying Medicare premiums on my own. The $1,380 deduction you mentioned is almost certainly the Medicare Part B premiums for those 8 months (about $172-174 per month in 2024/2025). Here's what you need to do: Call SSA and specifically request a "Medicare Premium Duplicate Billing Adjustment" or "Medicare Premium Overpayment Refund." Have your bank statements ready showing all the direct Medicare payments you made for August 2024 through February 2025. They'll verify with Medicare that you were paying directly and should process a refund within 1-2 payment cycles. Pro tip: Try calling right at 7 AM when they open - wait times are much shorter in the morning. And definitely consider switching to automatic Medicare premium deduction from your monthly survivor benefits going forward - it's one less thing to manage during this difficult time. Don't give up if the first representative doesn't immediately understand. This is a known system issue that any experienced SSA agent should be able to resolve once you explain it clearly with the right terminology.

Emma, I'm so sorry for your loss. This Medicare premium issue is unfortunately very common with survivor benefits - you're definitely being double-charged and it's not your fault at all. What's happening is that SSA's system automatically deducts Medicare premiums from retroactive payments without checking if you've already been paying directly to Medicare. The $1,380 sounds exactly right for Medicare Part B premiums over those 8 months. Here's what worked for me when I had this same issue: Call SSA first thing in the morning (7 AM when they open - much shorter wait times!) and ask specifically for a "Medicare Premium Duplicate Billing Refund." Have your bank statements ready showing your direct Medicare payments from August 2024 through February 2025. They'll verify with Medicare that you were paying directly, then process a refund that usually comes as an adjustment in a future monthly payment. Also consider switching to automatic premium deduction from your monthly benefits going forward - one less bill to manage during this difficult time. Don't get discouraged if it takes a couple tries to reach someone who understands the issue. This is a known system problem that experienced representatives can resolve quickly once you use the right terminology. You'll get your money back!