Back in July, I wrote a post regarding role and identity, entitled A Note from Becki. I thought I had it all figured out.
As you know, I just had my 65th birthday, and in that birth month, Medicare kicked in. I had put off a couple of appointments for September, so that I could use this wonderful system. I went first to the dermatologist's office, handed the girl my Medicare card and my insurance card. She copied them and then said to me, "Who are you going to be now?"
When I got married, I never changed my name on my Social Security card. When I started teaching, just after I got married, my married name went on my files, as well as on my insurance.
So now I have a Medicare card with my maiden name, my husband's SSN-D. My insurance card is identified by mine....
I went to the retina specialist on Monday...red lights again,.."Who are you going to be?" The insurance lady suggested I call BC/BS to fix something there...they said, "Well, we can't do anything."
I called Medicare. Don't you hate those menus at the beginning? I finally said, "I need to talk to somebody." At least Chantelle was kind (better than the insurance lady). She didn't think there would be a problem since the policy number is forwarded.
Oh well, we'll see. After I come back from Virginia, I'll have to decide which name I'm going to use. For now, I'm back to my maiden name...for Medicare's sake anyway.
Life is wonderful.
8 comments:
When I got married, I decided to use the hyphenated version of my name. Maiden name hyphen married name on all legal documents. I figured that way maybe I could avoid problems down the line. My social security card, drivers license, etc all have my hyphenated last name recorded. In real life I go by my husband's last name, mostly because it is just easier.
why do folks have to make things so complicated??
:-}
I have the same problem- I'm traveling through life under two different names. I've been putting off changing everything because of the time involved in that bureaucratic mess but I've sort of run out of excuses. And now, talking about medicaid, you've given me another reason to pick a name.
The caffeine is wearing off but I'm still smiling over your comment.
At least you have your social security card. I lost mine years ago and when I tried to get another one I had to have more identification than I had. (At the time I didn't have a passport and a picture id on the drivers license wasn't good enough) I do remember the number though so all is not lost.
Beverly
I had not thought about this...wow. My SSN card is definitely in my maiden name, it's the one I was issued way back in grammar school. Of course everything else is in my married name.
You've probably gotten lost in a black hole as far as Social Security helping...isn't life grand?
Beverly
I had not thought about this...wow. My SSN card is definitely in my maiden name, it's the one I was issued way back in grammar school. Of course everything else is in my married name.
You've probably gotten lost in a black hole as far as Social Security helping...isn't life grand?
Hmmm.. this is very interesting. My maiden name is also on my social security. I wonder if I should look into all of this now instead of later.
I'm amazed that the IRS hasn't reacted! When I married, the first time, I contacted Social Security and changed my name. I kept my first husband's name, after our divorce, because I liked it better than my maiden name and because I saw no reason to switch back. When I married again, I didn't hurry to change my name on my SS card, although I did on my driver's license, voter registration, school records (I was at university, then), etc. The first time we filed a joint income tax return, we got a notice from the IRS noting that the SSN (mine) did not match the name on the return. I hied myself down to a SS office and did the paperwork. I don't remember that it was cumbersome.
Post a Comment