Social Security and Medicare address change when moving an elderly parent to another state

CaliforniaGirl-1

We have just succeeded in moving my elderly parent from the East Coast to the West Coast where I live. She is now living in MC unit of an AL community near me. Now we need to change her address for social security and medicare so she can get services here and her doctors can bill medicare,

We could just change the address online. I would like the mailing address to be my address rather than the AL. But I am nervous about doing anything that will cause any disruption.

Are we better off doing it online or should I go down to social security with a letter from a doctor and changing it there? Also will it cause difficulties if we add a mailing address and say she is living somewhere else online. 

I would be happy to avoid becoming the representative payee but if I have to I guess I am am of with it,

Any advice from someone who has moved a LO to another state and jumped through these hoops? I just want everything to be smooth for her.

CanyonGal

Do you have DPOA? If so, you can probably do a change of address, so the mail is sent to you. 

I changed the Medicare statements to be online only, so I don't have to worry about them being mailed out to a previous address. 

I also eventually changed her bills to be mailed to my address. 

I think I mailed the DPOA to Medicare. You could probably take it to your local Social Security office. 

CaliforniaGirl-1

Thank you. I am mostly worried that medicare will now be getting billed in California and they have her address as on the East Coast. I don't want any disruption.

Quilting brings calm

Just write a letter to the nearest social  security office listing the old address, the new address, her SSN.   You don’t have to have her sign it and you don’t have to put your name on it.  Now, if you need to change the bank account that the monthly payment is direct deposited into, that’s a different story. We left my parents bank account open when we moved them back to our state. Just notified the bank of the address change.   The direct deposits and automated bill payments continue as is.  If we get a check that needs deposited, I write for deposit only on it and mail it to the bank.  Th address I used was my address as I changed all their mail to come to me rather than the assisted living center they are in  

I notified her Medicare Part D and F companies via letter also.  Be aware that some part D companies may not write in every state so  you may need to get her a new Part D  prescription plan.  We did not have to. 

It took me awhile to get every bill they had switched to my address just because I did it all via letter. 

BassetHoundAnn

I had to apply to become a Representative Payee for my mom for Social Security in order to change her address for Medicare purposes. They wouldn't allow me to simply change her address online. It was a simple application and phone interview. Then I had to go down to her bank and apply to open a special bank account to have her monthly checks deposited, and then inform Social Security of that account. She was already having her Social Security automatically deposited to her bank account but SS wanted a special account. 

Social Security would not recognize my durable power of attorney, as DPOA forms are a state thing not a federal thing. That's why they required their own application and a phone interview.

I would start by calling your local Social Security office, explaining the situation and asking to become Representative Payee. 

zauberflote

When we moved Mom from NY to VA, we made her residence address the MC, but her mailing address my brother's house. I don't really remember the nitty gritty beyond that. Her SS was an auto-deposit, so the bank account didn't change. As I recall, there were no huge problems.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.