Social Security Error Jeopardizes Medicare Coverage For 250,000 Seniors

Due to what the Social Security Administration (SSA) is calling "a processing error" that occurred back in January, Kaiser Health News reports that at least 250,000 Medicare beneficiaries may receive bills for as many as five months of premiums they thought they already paid. According to the agency's "frequently asked questions" page on its website, SSA did not deduct premiums from some seniors' Social Security checks and it didn't pay the insurance plans. Kaiser notes, "The problem applies to private drug policies and Medicare Advantage plans that provide both medical and drug coverage and substitute for traditional government-run Medicare." Some seniors will have to find the money to pay the plans, while others could receive cancellation notices.