Can I Lose My Medicare Coverage If My Spouse Dies?
Our readers always write into us with some of the most interesting Medicare questions. We do our best to answer them all. Let’s take a look at this question.
Q: Can I lose my Medicare coverage if my spouse dies?
A: Your spouse dying will not affect your Medicare eligibility. Unless of course you inherit a large amount of money from your spouse when he/she dies, and this amount of money is substantial enough to detrimentally change your income positively. You are approved for Medicare on an individual basis. Your spouse dying will not likely affect your eligibility in most cases.
Q: Can I lose my Medicare coverage if my spouse dies and I do not file any claims with the SSA?
A: You do not need to file any “claims” if your spouse dies. Medicare will continue on regardless of the status of your spouse. The only situation in which the death of a spouse will be truly relevant in Medicare eligibility is the case stated above. Otherwise, you should have no major problems with Medicare should something happen with your spouse.
Q: Can I lose my Medicare coverage if my spouse dies, and are there any benefits I can collect?
A: This is the third time this month that our readers have asked this question. You can submit your spouse’s death certificate to Social Security. Medicare may give you a better policy if you can prove to the SSA that you are eligible for survivors benefits. This could come in the form of an increased amount of monetary coverage on your prescriptions, hospital insurance policy, or other parts of the Medicare ordinance.
It is important to remember that you should notify the SSA when a change of spousal contribution/income is relevant. The SSA will ask for photo identification and other essentials. Processing fees apply to sending death certificates and photo identification scans over the web, and it is recommended to visit your local SSA office instead.
Related posts:
- Can I Lose My Medicare Coverage If I Get Divorced?
- Will Medicare Pay For Medical Bills After Someone Dies?
- Can I Lose My Employer’s Health Coverage If I Have Medicare?
- How Can I Lose My Medicare Eligibility?
- Will Medicare Cover Both Mine And My Spouse’s Medical Care?