Medicare beneficiaries rely on the Social Security Administration (SSA) for many different functions, such as Medicare enrollment, managing premium payments, and coordinating premium subsidies, just to name a few. Last week, significant cuts and reductions were announced by SSA, including field office closures, staff reductions, and shuttering the Office of Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity as well as the Office of Transformation.
How These Cuts Impact Medicare Beneficiaries:
- Individuals new to Medicare can expect delays in enrollment;
- Enrollment into SSDI-Medicare may take over three years (this is due both to the time it takes for staff to process SSDI applications, as well as the required 24-month waiting period);
- Delays in Social Security payments may create a lapse in premium payments for those whose Medicare premiums are deducted from their Social Security checks;
- Individuals experiencing an error with premium payments (regardless of agency or beneficiary error) may not be able to get their Medicare “turned back on” promptly, despite paying outstanding premiums;
- Phone call wait times and dropped calls are expected to increase;
- Some Medicare beneficiaries may have to travel over 100 miles to conduct business in person, meaning Medicare beneficiaries without internet access or who have concerns about online privacy and data breaches may be without assistance entirely;
- Appeals for Medicare enrollment delays, denials, or premium discrepancies will take years to resolve; and
- Individuals eligible for Medicare premium subsidies may not be able to enroll, which will leave low-income beneficiaries unable to access the health care they are entitled to.
Former SSA Commissioner Martin O’Malley testified in November, 2024 that SSA was serving more customers than ever before with one of the lowest staffing levels in 50 years. That was the state of SSA before January 2025. The massive cuts and reductions announced in 2025 means all efforts to modernize SSA have been halted, so improvements will not be made.
If you or someone you know relies on SSA for income and/or Medicare, expect major delays in processing – both initial enrollments and appeals. It is important for beneficiaries and advocates to remember that remedies in SSA (called “equitable relief”) require evidence of an error, misrepresentation, or inaction of an employee or agent of the Government. Therefore, it is critical to document the date, time, worker name, and information given for every interaction with the SSA.
As always, talk to your legislators about your experiences. Share wait times, loss or delay of benefits, and misinformation with your elected officials.
March 6, 2025 – C. Huberty