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Medicare and Social Security Question
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Medicare & Insurance
Medicare and Social Security Question
Share Medicare dos and don’ts, including eligibility and supplemental insurance.
Hi, I have been tearing my hair out trying to find a proper answer to the following simple questions. I have tried CPAs but they haven't been able to give a straight answer, surprisingly. I rece
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Cat:91a4afbf-9555-4e02-b9d3-9eef604476f6Forum:c79f53c3-fa71-4e76-b517-aef042efd7ff
Cat:91a4afbf-9555-4e02-b9d3-9eef604476f6Forum:c79f53c3-fa71-4e76-b517-aef042efd7ffDiscussion:4dd18e33-44d4-4d23-8138-e01809e03986
Forums » Health » Medicare & Insurance » Medicare and Social Security Question
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Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 20, 2012 1:31 PM EDT
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Posts: 5
First: July 20, 2012 Last: July 24, 2012 |
Hi, I have been tearing my hair out trying to find a proper answer to the following simple questions. I have tried CPAs but they haven't been able to give a straight answer, surprisingly. I recently moved to the US and became a US citizen. I work for a foreign company so all my income is foreign earned income. I pay taxes in that foreign country and I also pay Uncle Sam an estimated tax here every quarter. However, the foreign company does not pay social security for me in the US and I would like to know how to pay into the SS and medicare so that when I reach 65, I can benefit from the programs. Does anyone know how to go about doing this and where I can find how much I need to pay, etc? It would be great to get a simple step by step guide rather than general advice such as to call an SS office or try a tax consultant. I've been there, done that....and it doesn't work. |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 23, 2012 2:20 PM EDT
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Posts: 1924
First: November 27, 2011 Last: May 31, 2013 |
You mean the Social Security Office could not answer your question? Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) Medicare questions should be directed to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-877-486-2048). If you did not pay into the U.S. Social Security system during your working career, that benefit will not be available to you. Too bad your country of origin doesn't pay cause that is where you worked and paid into their system. However, if you are now a citizen and I assume they gave you a Social Security number then I believe you can buy into the Medicare system (or at least some parts of it) but it is rather expensive, total health care insurance might be cheaper in the private marketplace, just depends on what you are looking for and which is the better health care coverage for you. There are specific enrollment periods. For all the details you can contact them at the above number or ask your question on the SSA/Medicare - FAQ Online form. They should be able to give you a step by step. |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 23, 2012 4:32 PM EDT
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Posts: 5
First: July 20, 2012 Last: July 24, 2012 |
Thanks, but been there, done that. The SS people do not know how to handle this matter. They are only familiar with check the box type queries as they relate to US employers and familiar US employment contractual situations. I tried to discuss the matter with them several times but everyone is clueless and I was passed around and told to check the general info on the website. |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 23, 2012 8:48 PM EDT
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Posts: 1924
First: November 27, 2011 Last: May 31, 2013 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question: Thanks, but been there, done that. The SS people do not know how to handle this matter. They are only familiar with check the box type queries as they relate to US employers and familiar US employment contractual situations. I tried to discuss the matter with them several times but everyone is clueless and I was passed around and told to check the general info on the website. Posted by caliban4 Well I have searched and searched . . . . . sorry, no definitive results  Here is some suggestions: You are a citizen now and I assume that you have a SS number. So your question to the SSA should be: Can I participate in the Medicare program, even if I have to pay for the various parts, without being eligible for Social Security? If that again gets you nowhere - CALL your Congressman's office and ask them to research it for you. |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 23, 2012 9:10 PM EDT
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Posts: 5
First: July 20, 2012 Last: July 24, 2012 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question: In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question : Well I have searched and searched . . . . . sorry, no definitive results Here is some suggestions: You are a citizen now and I assume that you have a SS number. So your question to the SSA should be: Can I participate in the Medicare program, even if I have to pay for the various parts, without being eligible for Social Security? If that again gets you nowhere - CALL your Congressman's office and ask them to research it for you. Posted by GailL1 Thanks, Gail. I did get on to turbotax today since one of their tax experts had helped me a few years back with another tax enquiry. They put me on to one of their experts who had some difficulty at first with the situation as I outlined it, but she was helpful enough to suggest what I needed to file in future for my tax returns, given the peculiarities of my case and she promised to research it further and let me know definitively. To cut a long story short, it seems I have to classify myself as self employed with business income for US purposes although I am an employee of a company and not self employed and I don't have business income nor a business. Apparently, there is a wide interpretation of what a business is. Sounds a bit crazy for something so specific, but go figure. The main thing is that I would like to ensure I pay what I am supposed to be paying, regardless of how strange the label. |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 24, 2012 8:50 AM EDT
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Posts: 1924
First: November 27, 2011 Last: May 31, 2013 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question: In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question : Thanks, Gail. I did get on to turbotax today since one of their tax experts had helped me a few years back with another tax enquiry. They put me on to one of their experts who had some difficulty at first with the situation as I outlined it, but she was helpful enough to suggest what I needed to file in future for my tax returns, given the peculiarities of my case and she promised to research it further and let me know definitively. To cut a long story short, it seems I have to classify myself as self employed with business income for US purposes although I am an employee of a company and not self employed and I don't have business income nor a business. Apparently, there is a wide interpretation of what a business is. Sounds a bit crazy for something so specific, but go figure. The main thing is that I would like to ensure I pay what I am supposed to be paying, regardless of how strange the label. Posted by caliban4 Something does NOT sound right here. . . . . If you are an EMPLOYEE and a CITIZEN, then you should be having FICA taxes withheld from your pay and matched by your employer. Then your employee pay would be registered with the Social Security Andministration under your Social Security Number. Now IF you don't have a actual Social Security number, you missed part of the citizenship process. I'm done . . . . without the full story, we're shooting in the dark here! |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 24, 2012 10:27 AM EDT
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Posts: 5
First: July 20, 2012 Last: July 24, 2012 |
I have a social security number and this number is also input in all tax information. The problem I am having is actually the same sort of query showing up in your responses. Although I reside in the US, I work as a full time employee of a foreign company via the internet from my home. Foreign companies do not use the same tax forms or W2 forms as the US and the procedures are different. In addition, foreign companies do not withhold tax or match contributions for US purposes. Simply put, they are not concerned about US matters because they do not operate within a US jurisdiction and are not subject to US laws or control. I therefore have to ensure that I do this on my own, whether as a self employed person or a business in order to satisfy the US system for tax purposes. The downside of this is that there is no matching by the employer because of that foreign element. |
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Re: Medicare and Social Security Question
posted at July 24, 2012 11:11 AM EDT
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Posts: 91
First: June 2, 2010 Last: December 14, 2012 |
In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question: In Response to Re: Medicare and Social Security Question : Well I have searched and searched . . . . . sorry, no definitive results Here is some suggestions: You are a citizen now and I assume that you have a SS number. So your question to the SSA should be: Can I participate in the Medicare program, even if I have to pay for the various parts, without being eligible for Social Security? If that again gets you nowhere - CALL your Congressman's office and ask them to research it for you. Posted by GailL1 Great answer...f |
Forums » Health » Medicare & Insurance » Medicare and Social Security Question
