Issues with SSA/RRB Payments

Please be aware that there was an issue that affected Medicare Advantage and Part D members who elected to pay their premiums from their Social Security Administration (SSA) or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) check.

Starting February 1, 2019, SSA/RRB stopped deducting premium payments from beneficiaries’ checks due to a system issue that occurred over two or more months. The system issue has been corrected, however SSA/RRB can’t retroactively deduct premium payments.

This issue is affecting all carriers and all plans, but may not affect all clients. Your affected clients should be receiving notices from their insurance carrier about any past-due premiums, and you should receive email communications from the various insurance carriers you represent on how to resolve the issue with each of the carriers directly. Make sure to watch for each of the carriers’ communications as they will have their own method to remedy the past-due premiums, not all carriers will handle the situation the same way. Make sure to save those notices so you can better assist your clients affected by the SSA/RRB issue.

Monthly EFT from a checking or savings account has been and remains the most secure and consistent method of payment. We strongly encourage you to advise your clients to elect this payment method at the time or enrollment or any time of the year once they become an active member.