Iris Mitchell said she reported her change in income when she retired in 2016 but the premium for her Medicare coverage stayed the same for two years.
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"I gave them everything they needed, my 2017 income tax form and even to be specific, I told them what my income was and what it is now," Mitchell said.
When she requested a refund for the over payments, she was told she would get her money back, but she only got a check for half of what she was owed.
"It was very frustrating because it was very cut and dry, it wasn't rocket science," said Mitchell. After spending more than a year trying to resolve the issue on her own, she got a letter saying she would not get any more money back. Mitchell decided to reach out to the Troubleshooter team.
"I was going to give up, but I was looking at the news and that particular day Diane was talking about a man that had been trying to get his social security for, I can't remember if it was 4 or 5 years... and she had taken his case and he got his back pay and he was getting his Social Security and it was great," said Mitchell.
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We confirmed Mrs. Mitchell was owed a refund and a spokesperson for the Social Security Administration said the delay was due to an employee error. Mrs. Mitchell received her refund and an apology about a a week later.
The Social Security Administration said if a Medicare recipient's income changes, they should contact their local office and let them know they have new information and may need a new decision about their Medicare premiums.
You can find more information about life changing events that could impact premiums here.