When you choose a plan for your prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D, you may be required to pay monthly premiums for the coverage. If you receive a Social Security check you have the option of having your premiums deducted from Social Security. Here is what you need to know about your Medicare Part D premiums.

When you enroll in a prescription drug plan through Medicare, you can elect to have your monthly premiums automatically paid from your Social Security check. It can take up to two months to start withholding the premiums from your Social Security checks after your insurance company notifies Social Security.

When the withholding from your Social Security check starts you should expect the back premiums to be withheld from one check; you will need to budget accordingly for this expense. When Social Security falls behind in processing these requests it can often take three months to start your withholding. This means three months of premiums will be withheld from one Social Security check. Social Security will not deduct more than three months of Medicare Part D premiums from any one Social Security check; this is to prevent financial hardships for beneficiaries.

If your request to start deduction from your Social Security checks goes unanswered for more than three months, Medicare will start billing you directly for any premiums due. To request that Social Security start withholding premiums from your Social Security check each month, contact your Medicare drug plan provider. All requests originate with your provider, the customer service number is found on your drug plan benefit card. If you call Social Security with questions about the withholding they will refer you to your drug plan provider as the provider is the only one that can start or stop the withholding from your Social Security check. To learn more about prescription drug coverage under Medicare Part D, visit the website Social Security Laid Bare using the links below.