Social Security & Medicare

So yesterday I waited on hold for about 35 minutes before Devon in Baltimore came on the line. I immediately asked for a supervisor, but he refused to get one until I told him my information. Then he put me on hold for several minutes and then came back and said all the supervisors were in a meeting. So I told him the whole story, he looked at my file, and sure enough, no letter has been generated but the application was denied. He put me on hold again and again came back saying the supervisors were still in a meeting. He took my number and said he'd leave a note on his supervisor's desk asking him to call me and assured me that his supervisor always makes those calls. Well, the callback was supposed to happen yesterday or this morning. Stupid me, I believed him. No call, of course.

I called the local office again today. They were supposed to get back with me "in one or two days" from Monday. They at least had more info. Turns out that Social Security DOES NOT accept letters of creditable coverage from an insurance company. Now they want W-2 forms, Explanations of Benefits, Insurance Cards (does anyone keep old insurance cards?), and likely my first born. Fortunately, I had the W-2 forms and Explanations of Benefits. I'll deliver them tomorrow and we'll see what happens. I was assured that it will not take another 3 months to have this reviewed. We'll see about that.

Social Security needs to get into the 21st century. The requirement for that one form is ridiculous given the current business climate where companies buy up other companies to get rid of the competition. There is no one is left at the original company to complete the forms and the new company claims to not have old employee info. I was told that letters of creditable coverage from insurance companies are legal documents ... but somehow Social Security doesn't see them as such, even when they have both my name and my husband's name on them, the dates of coverage, both Social Security numbers, and the employer's name on them.

I just hope I don't have a heart attack or stroke before this damn thing is settled.