Medicare Question

[Searat7]

I am from USA and will be turning 65 later this year. I already collect Social Security so Part A is automatic but I must sign up for part B. I am probably moving back to USA in mid 2015 and I know that I can sign up for Parts C and D within 2 months of my return but I am wondering if I should be using Thailand address for Social Security (and Medicare) to prove I live overseas....currently I use a USA mailing address.

[SUBSAILOR]

I don't think medicare works here. I would keep my USA address, especially since you are leaving in a year.

[Suradit69]

I use my Thai address for SS and have received mail here from Medicare, but don't plan to return to the US.

If you want/need to establish that you are overseas now to keep open the opportunity to apply for parts C and D when you return, it might be important that you use an overseas address while you are out of the country. However, rather than depend on speculation from me or other TV members, I strongly suggest you contact the SS office for SE Asia and ask them:

Social Security Administration
United States Embassy
1201 Roxas Blvd., Ermita
0930 Manila, Philippines

Contact Information:
Phone: (632) 301-2000 ext. 9
Fax: (632) 708-9723 and (632) 708-9714
E-mail: [email protected]

Or at least request information from the embassy in Bangkok (or during one of their outreach programs):

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/federal-benefits-and-taxes.html

Updating Your Address with SSA. If you are residing outside of the United States for more than 6 months, you should update your address with the Social Security Administration. Your benefits will be suspended if your address is not updated. If you are updating your U.S. address to an address in Thailand, you will need to fill out Form SSA-21 and submit it to a U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If you are updating an address within Thailand, please contact SSA Manila directly.

Reporting to SSA. Each year SSA sends a form called “Report to Social Security” to a number of randomly selected beneficiaries. If you have received this form, please complete and return it with the envelope provided to the SSA Office in the United States. If your benefits have been suspended due to failing to submit this form, only then will you be able to obtain and submit the form through our office.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Suradit69

[Gonsalviz]

I use my Thai address for SS and have received mail here from Medicare, but don't plan to return to the US.

If you want/need to establish that you are overseas now to keep open the opportunity to apply for parts C and D when you return, it might be important that you use an overseas address while you are out of the country. However, rather than depend on speculation from me or other TV members, I strongly suggest you contact the SS office for SE Asia and ask them:

Social Security Administration

United States Embassy

1201 Roxas Blvd., Ermita

0930 Manila, Philippines

Contact Information:

Phone: (632) 301-2000 ext. 9

Fax: (632) 708-9723 and (632) 708-9714

E-mail: [email protected]

Or at least request information from the embassy in Bangkok (or during one of their outreach programs):

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/federal-benefits-and-taxes.html

That SS office is in Manila. They are just as useless ans any other US gov't office but it is your only choice.

[Suradit69]

I use my Thai address for SS and have received mail here from Medicare, but don't plan to return to the US.

If you want/need to establish that you are overseas now to keep open the opportunity to apply for parts C and D when you return, it might be important that you use an overseas address while you are out of the country. However, rather than depend on speculation from me or other TV members, I strongly suggest you contact the SS office for SE Asia and ask them:

Social Security Administration

United States Embassy

1201 Roxas Blvd., Ermita

0930 Manila, Philippines

Contact Information:

Phone: (632) 301-2000 ext. 9

Fax: (632) 708-9723 and (632) 708-9714

E-mail: [email protected]

Or at least request information from the embassy in Bangkok (or during one of their outreach programs):

http://bangkok.usembassy.gov/service/federal-benefits-and-taxes.html

That SS office is in Manila. They are just as useless ans any other US gov't office but it is your only choice.

"That SS office is in Manila."

Which is why the address shown is in Manila. Like it or not, they are the office that serves people living in Thailand or, as I suggested, the US Citizens Service office in the embassy in Bangkok will try to answer fairly basic questions.

I applied for my Social Security through the Manila office and had no problems. Government offices are, as you say, not known for their user-friendly service, but you have to go with the government you have, not the government you wish you had. As the notice I quoted above states, if you use the wrong address for over 6 months, you might get caught out and have your SS suspended. I doubt it would happen, but it could happen and Heaven knows how long it would take to get it reinstated.

Edited June 2, 2014 by Suradit69

[Suradit69]

To the O/P: as I said, I use my Thai address for Social Security, but my monthly payment is deposited in my bank in Chicago. Even if you use a foreign address, your benefits do not have to be sent to you or to a bank in Thailand.

[DogNo1]

I've had really good service from the office in Manila. Maybe I was just lucky to get a knowledgeable and efficient claims authorizer.

[streetlite]

@streetlite I've been living here for 6 years and never thought about this issue because I use a USA address for all my mail and correspondence. Thank you very much for this post because I like to keep everything in order and in compliance with the law.

My question concerns the form SSA21. I have SS and pension that are direct deposited into my USA bank. I have all taxes taken from the pension and nothing from SS. The tax from the pension covers my tax debt. On the form it states that SS will automatically attach a 25% tax to the monthly payment. Can this be changed to 0% if I send in the address change form?

Thanks

[TerryLH]

"That SS office is in Manila. They are just as useless ans any other US gov't office but it is your only choice."

As others have said, I had excellent service from the SS Office in Manila.

They even helped fix problems I caused myself.