Yes it is true. From the SS website: Can supplemental insurance be deducted from Social Security?
Yes, you can choose to have your Medicare Supplement (Medigap) premiums automatically deducted from your Social Security benefits. This is a convenient option for many beneficiaries as it ensures timely and consistent payment of premiums.
This is how I have paid my insurance premiums since I started collecting SS.
Can you provide a link for this quote from the SS website? I cannot find it on the SS website, but I can find this quote here: How Do I Pay for My Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan? | eHealth (ehealthinsurance.com)
Which is followed by this quote:
You can also choose to pay your premiums directly to the insurance company if you prefer. It’s important to note that not all insurance companies may offer the option to pay through Social Security, so it’s best to confirm with your insurer.
Unfortunately - if persuading them were as simple as just sitting down and explaining, there would never be any issues.
My father might be persuaded, but my mother also has some sort of oppositional-disorder trait mixed in with religion - basically, if you advise her to do something, she’ll naturally be inclined to do the opposite. (Nobody is the boss of me!) So I’m at a loss of how to persuade her. Maybe I should use reverse psychology and suggest, “Let’s keep you uninsured so you can lose a million dollars.”
She does listen a great deal to Fox News and Tucker Carlson, though. So if I could just find some clips from those sources telling senior citizens to get long-term care insurance, we’d be all set.
You might ask your parents what their goal is for their legacy. Many parents want to leave a financial inheritance for their children. If your parents understand that Medicaid rules mean they’ll have to burn through their assets before they are allowed to apply for benefits, then they might reconsider protecting their legacy.
In the end, if they hear what you say and choose to accept whatever risks they are facing without insurance, that’s up to them. If they haven’t been deemed by the state to be incapable of making their own decisions, there’s little you can do, other than remind them that if they don’t take steps to plan for and protect against crushing medical expenses, you won’t be stepping up to foot the bill for them.
I actually found that on a website about Social Security. If someone wants to pay their supplemental insurance payments from their SS, you apply through your insurance company, not SSA. Both plans I have used, Humana and United Healthcare, included this option when I originally signed up. My wife will start collecting her SS in July, she has already made arrangements with our health plan to have the premiums deducted from her SS.
Ultimately it’s their decision, but if you can persuade your father, that’s half the battle. Maybe once he sees the sense in it he can persuade your mom, however unlikely that may seem. Your offer to pay for it shows it’s not a money issue.
Some people have a kind of “death wish”, and want to leave everything in God’s hands. If that’s the case, it’s nearly impossible to persuade them, regardless of what you say. I just hope their faith gets them through any serious medical issues ahead.
Thanks for the info. Ignorance fought, once again.
I was not given that option, through either of the two carriers we’ve used for Supplemental insurance. I pay through automatic draw from my checking account, so it’s not like I have to write a check each month.