Woman Fights Uncle Sam To Prove She Is Alive - Lost All Her Benefits

[matcom]

<snip>

CROWN POINT, Ind. -- Thelma Saberniak has a message for Uncle Sam -- she's not dead.

But the 82-year-old is finding that it's tough to be restored to the ranks of the living.

Saberniak learned of her supposed demise when she tried to apply for Medicare's new prescription drug benefit.

She also lost her monthly Social Security checks.

Social Security records show Saberniak recently moved to Arizona, even though she's lived in a Chicago-area nursing home for two years.

Social Security officials promise to restore Saberniak's benefits "expeditiously," once her identity is verified.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/5815387/detail.html

[BlueIris]

1. It's time for me to cry now.

These stories are so damn sad. Every once in a while, I hear about someone who has been erroneously declared "dead" and they can't be made "alive" again. That is some hellish nightmare if it ever happens to you. It's notoriously difficult to right your life after an error like that. And this story--an 82 year old in a nursing home--!!

:cry:

[AllegroRondo]

2. Does that mean she doesnt have to pay taxes?

looking at the bright side....

[Cathyclysmic]

3. That's actually a common problem

I worked at a bank. Customers would come is freaking out when their SS check was not deposited. We would call SS together, and SS would state the records show them as deceased.

Why this happens, what I heard at least, is that a person goes to the hospital or ER. The hospital then asks for payment from medicare or medicaid. I guess the code the hospital puts on this bill for deceased is sometimes mistakenly put on the form instead of discharged, which gets reported to SS and stops the checks.

Fun stuff!

[jeff30997]

4. Damn bureaucrats!!!

:banghead: