What They’re Saying: Arizona Seniors Thank Senator Kelly for Help Resolving Social Security, Medicare Issues

Today, Arizona Senator Mark Kelly highlighted his office’s continued work to successfully assist Arizona seniors and their families navigate issues they encountered with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS), receiving their Social Security and Medicare. Senator Kelly has remained focused on helping Arizona seniors cut through bureaucracy and get access to the benefits they have earned for a healthy and secure retirement. 

“I’m working to make sure Arizona seniors get the Social Security and Medicare benefits they’ve earned through a lifetime of hard work,” said Senator Kelly. “Seniors shouldn’t have to worry their benefits won’t be there to help them pay their bills, get their prescription medications or cover their next doctor’s appointment. My team and I are here to help, and I hope that any Arizonans will reach out when they need help cutting through the red tape they’re facing with the federal government.” 

Read testimonials from constituents below: 

In September, Irene Prall received a notice from the Social Security Administration (SSA) that her income increased, which was not true. She later found out that someone had fraudulently filed under her Social Security number for a large sum, which led Social Security to cut her payments in half. They then asked her to prove the filing was incorrect, even though she is 87, hasn’t filed taxes in two decades, and lives solely on social security.  

“Even though I reported this as fraud, I wasn’t making progress towards a resolution, which is why I turned to Senator Kelly’s office,” Prall said. “Senator Kelly’s staff was able to escalate the issue with Social Security, and within a few weeks, Social Security had fixed the issue and returned the money it had withheld back to me. I am very grateful for Senator Kelly’s team for their patience and assistance to resolve what was a very worrying issue. I encourage other Arizonans having trouble navigating a federal agency to reach out to Senator Kelly’s office.” – Irene Prall, Scenic, Mohave County, AZ 

Philip Dendel, a Tucson resident, turned to Kelly’s office after he was charged a late enrollment penalty for his Medicare Part D. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services claimed he didn’t have prescription drug coverage before he enrolled though he was covered continuously through his VA prescription drug coverage.  

“My multiple appeals to Medicare to try and resolve this issue weren’t working, as there was confusion about which federal appeals service had jurisdiction over my case. This stalled the process even more. That’s when I turned to Senator Kelly’s office for assistance,” explained Dendel. “The Kelly team submitted an inquiry on my behalf, and as a result, my request for appeal was approved and the penalties on my account were removed. I’m extremely grateful for Senator Kelly’s staff who helped me untangle a complex web of red tape that I was struggling with. I encourage other Arizonans having trouble navigating a federal agency to reach out to Senator Kelly’s office — you’ll be glad you did!” – Philip Dendel, Tucson, Pima County, AZ 

When applying for Medicare Part B, William Fowler, a Queen Creek resident, received conflicting information from a different representatives at the Social Security Administration field office near him. Some said he qualified for Medicare Part B, and others said he would not and would be denied.  

“This was especially concerning as we did not want to risk being without coverage, so I reached out to Senator Kelly’s office to see if they could help,” said Fowler. “Senator Kelly’s staff made a congressional inquiry to the field office, and quickly turned the situation around: the staff from the Social Security office reached back out to me to address the misinformation I received, and enrolled me into the Medicare program. We couldn’t be more thankful for Senator Kelly, his staff, and their support in cutting through a bunch of confusion and misinformation.  We are extremely grateful for the Senator’s help, and I hope other Arizonans reach out for assistance if they need it.” – William Fowler, Queen Creek, Pinal County, AZ  

Constituent Services: 

Kelly’s staff can assist constituents with a range of other federal issues involving Social Security, Medicare, the Small Business Administration, Internal Revenue Service cases, immigration, passports, and others. 

Constituents who need help with federal agencies should reach out to Senator Kelly’s office by visiting https://www.kelly.senate.gov/casework.