Dear Toni,
I had no problem opening the “My Social Security” account to enroll in Medicare because I knew those answers. When it came to filling out the application for Medicare that was another story.
I had a problem with some of Medicare’s personal questions. I knew my name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, etc. When it came to what kind of citizen, that was another issue because I am not a U.S.-born American. I was born in Greece and am proud to say that I received my American citizenship about 15 years ago. The application asked for the date that I became a U.S. citizen, and I could not answer that exact date and had to estimate. I now have to take in person or mail my original citizenship papers to my local Social Security office.
Toni, your Medicare column readers need to know that even though this is supposed to be an easier process by enrolling online at ssa.gov, there are still a few kinks that can confuse Americans. Please let your readers know not to give up when having a problem. If my wife and I had not scheduled a Medicare consultation via Zoom with the Toni Says office, I would have been totally lost applying online. Thanks, Toni.
— Nick from Tampa, Fla.