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Your Medicare coverage may look different in 2027 - U.S News
An Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is a document Medicare Advantage and Part D plans must send by September 30 each year, explaining changes to premiums, copays, drug coverage, and provider networks effective January 1. You should receive your ANOC before the Medicare Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from October 15 to December 7, 2026, with all changes taking effect January 1, 2027. This window allows you to switch Medicare Advantage plans, change Part D drug coverage, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Paul Wynn, writing for U.S. News, provides a plan preview of the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medicare in 2027. Read Mr. Wynn’s article here…
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i’M 79, MY WIFE OF 52 YEARS IS 76. i’VE BEEN DIAGNOSED,WITH PANCREATIC CANCER. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY WIFE WILL RECEIVE FROM SOCIAL SECURITY AFTER I DIE. WE HAVE THREE CHILDREN, A WARRIOR WITH SPECIAL OPS, AN ATTORNEY, & A BAKER. A SON & TWO DAUGHTERS ALL ARE INDEPENDENT. FOR 2027 MY MONTHLY INCOME FROM SOCIAL SECURITY (ssa) IS $3,341.70 AFTER PART b & d ARE DEDUCTED, MY WIFES MONTHLY INCOME FROM SSA, EARNED, iT IS HERS, WILL BE $1,268.90 AFTER b & d ARE DEDUCTED. CASH VALUE OF INSURANCE IS APPROXIMATELY $335,000 AFTER I DIE, MY WIFE WILL RECEIVE APPROXIMATELY $550,000 FROM INSURANCE PROCEEDS. WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY $650,000 IN ROTHIRAS & THE SAME IN TRADITIONAL IRA’s. i WOULD LIKE TO CONFIRM THE CHECK SHE’LL RECEIVE, THE FORM SHE’LL NEED TO FILE WHEN I DIE, AND THE ESTIMATE OF TIME THAT WILL PASS BETWEEN HER CHECK AND THE SUPPLEMENT THAT WOULD COME IN PLACE OF MY CHECK.
Greetings William: Thank you for contacting the AMAC Foundation Social Security Advisory Service. Let me start by thanking you for your military service!
I am sorry to hear about your current health challenges. Since your current Social Security retirement benefits are higher than the retirement benefits your wife receives, she will qualify for a widow’s benefit. That benefit will be payable beginning the month of your passing. The widow’s benefit will be computed as the difference between your higher retirement benefit and her lower retirement benefit each of you were receiving at the time of your passing. That difference will be added to your wife’s retirement benefits. The total of her combined widow’s and retirement benefits should equal the amount of your retirement benefits. The widow’s benefit does not replace her retirement benefit; it is added to her retirement benefits. In addition, your wife will qualify for the one time $ 255 lump sum death benefit as your surviving spouse.
At the time of your passing, your wife will need to call Social Security at (800)772-1213 to schedule a telephone appointment with her local office to file for the widow’s benefit. At the time of her appointment the representative will complete the needed widow’s application for benefits. Your wife will need to submit to Social Security her original or a certified copy of her marriage certificate. It usually takes 45 to 60 days to process a widow’s application.
One final point. Based on the benefits each of you are currently receiving, your wife might currently qualify for a spouse’s benefit. To qualify, she must meet one very important requirement. Your wife’s Full Retirement Age(FRA) retirement benefit must be less than half of your FRA retirement benefit. Since I do not have access to your official Social Security records, I am unable to determine if she meets this requirement. Therefore, I would recommend your wife call Social Security to inquire if she is currently eligible for a spouse’s benefit. If eligible, the spouse’s benefit will be computed by taking half of your FRA retirement benefit and reducing that by the amount of her FRA retirement benefit. That difference would represent the spouse’s benefit payable to your wife. Any spouse’s benefits your wife may qualify for will be added to her retirement benefits. If eligible, since your wife has attained her FRA, she can request 6 months of retroactive spouse’s benefits. If your wife calls Social Security in August, her spouse’s benefits can begin in February 2026. I wish you and your wife the best moving forward!
Please feel free to contact us at your convenience if we can be of any further assistance to you.
Mark Hendelson
National Social Security Advisor
The AMAC Foundation
http://www.amacfoundation.org
(888) 750-2622
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: The contents of this message are confidential and are intended solely for the use of the person or entity to whom the message was addressed. If you are not the intended recipient of this message, please be advised that any dissemination, distribution, forwarding, printing, copying, or use of the contents of this message, and any attached documentation, is strictly prohibited. If you received this message in error, please notify the sender. Please also permanently delete all copies of the original message and any attached documentation. The opinions and interpretations expressed in this message are the viewpoints of the message’s author, a trained advisor accredited under the National Social Security Advisors program of the National Social Security Association, LLC (NSSA). The author, the NSSA, and the AMAC Foundation are not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Government, the Social Security Administration, or any other state government.