On Nov 16, 2017, My sister, age 70, paid her Medicare premium 3 months in advance for Dec, Jan & Feb 2018. Her birthday is in Dec which is when she signed up for Social Security, i.e., December 2017. Her first SS check was received in January 2018. She understands that the first check is actually for Dec 2017 even though it's received a month later. If this is correct then she should have received a refund of the Medicare premiums she paid for all 3 months,Dec,Jan,Feb because the Medicare premium was deducted from her SS benefit beginning with the first check. She did receive a refund for her Jan & Feb medicare premiums but not her Dec premium. Should she have received her Dec Medicare premium which was deducted from the Jan 18 benefit?
Thanks

Hi,

If I'm understanding the situation correctly, the answer is no. Medicare premiums are normally withheld in the month of coverage, whereas Social Security benefits are paid a month in arrears. So, the Medicare premium that was withheld from your sister's check that she received in January 2018 was for her January 2018 Medicare coverage, even though that benefit payment was for the month of December 2017. In other words, she would still have needed to pay for her December 2017 coverage out of pocket.

Best, Jerry