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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !

L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !
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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
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TableofContents
Introduction.............................................................................................................5
Benefits......................................................................................................................5
WhatExactlyIsSocialSecurity?........................................................................5
Applying................................................................................................................5
WhatCanYouApplyFor?.................................................................................6
Retirement..........................................................................................................6
Disability............................................................................................................7
Medicare.............................................................................................................7

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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !

L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !
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Introduction

UnderstandingSocialSecurityandallthebenefitsthatcomewithitcanbe
frustratinganddifficult.AllBabyBoomersandcaregiversneedtohaveat
leastaworkingknowledgeofSocialSecurity,whetheryouarestill
employedornot.
Benefits
WhatExactlyIsSocialSecurity?
SocialSecurityisamandatedgovernmentsystemthatwasbornunder
FDRsNewDeal,designedtopreventpovertyinolderAmericans.Most
Americansthatworkpayaportionoftheirpaycheck(whethertheylikeit
ornot)toSocialSecuritythroughtaxesinhopesofgettinginbacksomeday
whentheyretire.Weactuallygiveittothepeoplethatneeditnow.It
reallyisnotbasedontheneedsoftheperson,butbasedonhowlongthey
putmoneyinthesystemandhowmuchtheyputinthesystem.IsSocial
Securityconfusing?Yes.But,youcanlearnwhatyouneedtolearnabout
yourparticularsituationandapplyforbenefits.Manyclaimsare
determinedonacasebycasebasis,

Applying

AccordingtotheSocialSecuritywebsite,celebrityBoomerPattyDukesaid
thatsheretiredathomeinherpajamas.Itsnotaseasyasshemakesit
sound.

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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !

L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !
Page6
Youcanapplybyphone,onlineattheSocialSecuritywebsite,orbygoing
intoalocaloffice.Seethecontactinformationsectionforphonenumber
andwebsiteaddress.

Onecrucialthingtodoistogatheryourdocumentationbeforeyoubegin
toapply.Hereissomepaperworkyouwillneed(ifyouhaveit,andifyou
donot,thencalltheappropriateagencytogetit!):

Birthcertificateorotherproofofbirth
MilitaryPapers
W2sforlastyear
NaturalizationPapers

Originaldocumentsmayberequired,sovisitthewebsitetofindout
exactlywhatyouneedandinwhatformyouneedit.

Youcanapplyforbenefitswhenyouare61yearsandninemonthsold.
WhatCanYouApplyFor?

ManySocialSecuritybenefitsarebasedonyourworkhistoryandearnings.
TheSocialSecurityAdministration(SSA)determineseligibilityfor
disabilitybenefits,dependentbenefits,retirementandsurvivorbenefits
throughaformulathatcouldvarypersontopersondependingontheir
situation.

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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !

L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !
Page7
Retirement

Thisbenefitgoestothosethathaveenoughworkhistoryandwagestogain
benefits.Youmustbeatleast62yearsoldandhaveenoughcreditsto
qualify.Youdonthavetoapplywhenyouare62,andthereareincentives
ifyoukeepworkinguntilyourretirementage(meaning:moremoney).Go
tothewebsitetocalculateyourpotentialbenefits.

Disability

TheSSAhastwoseparateprogramsfordisability.SocialSecurityDisability
(SSD)ifyouhaveworkedandyourjobpaidSocialSecuritytaxes,you
maybeeligibleifyoucanshowadisability.Theonlybenefitsnotbasedon
wagesorworkhistoryisSupplementalSecurityIncome(SSI),andto
qualifyforthis,youonlyneedtohaveincomelowenoughtoqualify.

Foreitherofthese,youmustprovethroughverydetaileddocumentation
thatyouhaveamentalhealthorphysicaldisabilitythatpreventsyoufrom
beingabletowork.TheSSAhasverystrictguidelinesforthosewhowant
toprovedisability,includingthefactthatthedisabilitymustbepredicted
tolastmorethan12months.

SSDusuallypaysmoremoneythanSSI.ItissometimespossibletogetSSD
andSSIatthesametime,butforthattohappentheawardedSSDamount
mustbeverysmall.
Youdoctorwillplayalargepartinobtainingandkeepingthisbenefit
becauseoftheneedfordocumentation,sobesuretomakeyourdoctor
awarethatyouareapplyingforSocialSecuritybenefits.
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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !

L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !
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Medicare

MedicareishealthinsuranceforolderAmericans.Youhavetobeatleast
65toapply.SSA.govadvisestoapplythreemonthsbeforeyour65
th

birthday,evenifyouareworking.

Togetbenefitsbeforetheageof65,youmustbetherecipientofretirement
benefitsduetoaconditionforatleast24months.Youmustbedeemed
disabled,andyoucangetbenefitsuponyour25
th
SSDcheck.

Somediagnoses,likeendstagerenaldiseaseorALS(amyotrophiclateral
sclerosis),canqualifyyouforMedicare,too(checkifyourdiagnosisisin
theBlueBookofImpairmentsontheSocialSecuritywebsite).

Medicarehasseveraldifferentparts:

PartAhospital,skillednursing,hospiceandsomehomecare
benefits
PartBdoctorandotherhealthcareproviderservices,outpatient
services,somepreventativeservices,durablemedicalequipment
(DME)
PartCMedicareAdvantagemayoffervision,dental,andhearing
benefits.Thispartsupportshealthcareplansthatarerunby
companiesapprovedbyMedicare.Youcangetaplanthathas
optionsforPartsA,BandD,butyoumaypayanextrapremium
PartDprescriptioncoverage

Inthefuture,additionalpartsmayarisebecauseofthedemandsthat
Boomerswillplaceonthehealthcaresystem.
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L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !

L e a r n m o r e a t w w w . l i v e b e t t e r b o o m e r . c o m ! G e t t h e L i v e
B e t t e r B o o m e r ! H e a l t h & W e l l n e s s T o o l k i t b y E x S o !
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Medicarewillbeyourhealthcarebreadandbutterafterretirement.For
moredetails,gotoMedicare.govandsearchtheofficialMedicarewebsite.

TheSSAhasbenefitsforsurvivors/widowsanddependentsofworkers
whoqualifiedforSocialSecuritybenefits.Ifyoufallintothiscategory,call
theSSAtoseeifyouqualifyforbenefits.

Ifyouthinkyoumayqualifyforbenefits,getintouchwiththeSSA,getall
ofthepertinentdocumentstogetherandclaimyourbenefitstoday!Heres
how:

Phone:18007721213;TTY:18003250778
Website:www.ssa.gov
OfficeLocations:Officesarelocatedalloverthecountry.To
findone,gotothewebsite,orcallthetollfreenumberfor
locationsinyourarea.