Q: Mr. M asks: “I began receiving Social Security (about $1,300 a month) after my 62nd birthday in December 2006. My wife will be 62 in December. She only worked a few months when we first married then became a stay-at-home mom. Is she eligible for SS benefits on my record and if so at what age and under what circumstances?”

A: Your wife can be entitled to as much as one-half of your benefit amount when she reaches full retirement age. If she wants to receive Social Security retirement benefits before her full retirement age, the amount of her benefit is reduced permanently.

The amount of reduction depends on when she will reach full retirement age. For example: If her full retirement age is 65, she can get 37.5 percent of your unreduced benefit at age 62; If her full retirement age is 66, she can get 35 percent of your unreduced benefit at age 62; If her full retirement age is 67, she can get 32.5 percent of your unreduced benefit at age 62.

The amount of her benefit increases at later ages up to the maximum of 50 percent at full retirement age. If your full retirement age is other than those shown here, the amount of your benefit will fall between 32.5 percent and 37 percent at age 62. However, if she is taking care of a child who is under age 16 or who gets Social Security disability benefits, she will receive the full benefits, regardless of age.

Q: “What are the differences between Medicare Parts A, B, C and D?”

A: There are four parts to Medicare: Medicare Part A, Hospital Insurance; Medicare Part B, Medical Insurance; Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage), which was formerly known as “Medicare + Choice” and the new Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage. Generally, people who are over age 65 and getting Social Security automatically qualify for Medicare Parts A and B.

So do people who have been getting disability benefits for two years, people who have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) and receive disability benefits, and people who have permanent kidney failure and receive maintenance dialysis or a kidney transplant.

Part A is paid for by a portion of Social Security tax. It helps pay for inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing care, hospice care and other services.

Part B is paid for by the monthly premiums of people enrolled and by general funds from the U.S. Treasury. It helps pay for doctors’ fees, outpatient hospital visits, and other medical services and supplies that are not covered by Part A.

Part C (Medicare Advantage) plans allow you to choose to receive all of your health care services through a provider organization. These plans may help lower your costs of receiving medical services, or you may get extra benefits for an additional monthly fee. You must have both Parts A and B to enroll in Part C.

Part D (prescription drug coverage) is voluntary and the costs are paid for by the monthly premiums of enrollees and Medicare. Unlike Part B in which you are automatically enrolled and must opt out if you do not want it, with Part D you have to opt in by filling out a form and enrolling in an approved plan.

More information may be found in our publication called Medicare, publication number 05-10043. Many of our other publications are available on the Internet.

More information about all four parts of Medicare can be found at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Web site.

Get answers to your Social Security questions each Thursday from Social Security District Manager Eleanor Jones. Submit questions to her attention by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at jvass@timesfreepress.com.

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