Social Security Administration
This agency oversees social security benefits programs and Medicare premiums. Benefits include:

• Retirement benefits
• Social Security Disability benefits
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Survivor and family benefits
• Lump Sum Death Benefit

Retirement and disability applications can be filed online or by contacting your local Social Security District Office.  To obtain more information on the benefits eligibility, filing applications, Medicare premium questions, and locating the nearest Social Security Office, go to www.socialsecurity.gov.

Some Public/Government Employee and Teacher Pensions may affect social security retirement benefits.  For more information on the offsets known as Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO), go to www.ssa.gov/gpo-wep/ 


Medicare
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is the governing agency for Medicare, which is a health insurance program.  

The Medicare program provides:

• Part A Hospital Insurance –Covers inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities(not custodial or long-term care), hospice care and some home health care if certain conditions are met.
• Part B Medical Insurance – Covers doctors’ services and outpatient care – also includes physical and occupational therapist and some home health care when they are medically necessary.
• Prescription Drug Coverage – this coverage is available to everyone with Medicare – beneficiaries choose the drug plan and pay a monthly premium

Questions regarding Medicare coverage, filing claims, appealing denied claims, Medicare enrollment, got to www.cms.gov (this website also provides information on Medicaid insurance program)