Staying Up-to-Date with Benefit News

By the Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources Legal Services Team

People have recently experienced unexpected challenges coordinating Social Security benefits. This is due to several changes to their fraud protection protocols, bank account protocols, identity verification, and communication preferences. These changes could affect how you receive your benefits and how you work with the Social Security Administration (SSA). Anytime there is a change to the benefits you rely on, it could cause anxiety and frustration. Being informed about changes to your benefits is essential, but ensuring you get the correct and most up-to-date information is just as important. With access to social media and multiple sources of information at our fingertips, it's critical to assess the validity of the information you receive. Getting information from the source may be the best way to ensure you get the correct information and ease the frustration of sorting through incorrect information. 

The best source for information about SSA and its benefits is on SSA’s website. Visiting SSA’s Communication Corner (https://www.ssa.gov/news/) will allow you to read the official press releases and current news affecting SSA and your benefits. While the SSA has been a hot topic lately, staying up to date with all your benefits is essential. When you know about the current changes to your benefits, you can be better prepared and avoid interruptions to your benefits. 

You can find up-to-date information about Medicare and Medicaid using a few resources. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) provides up-to-date information about news and changes to the programs they support. You can find this information at CMS’s Newsroom (https://www.cms.gov/about-cms/contact/newsroom). The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) offers news for Members of Wisconsin Medicaid. Just visit Medicaid: News for Members (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/medicaid/news.htm) to find up-to-date information about current Medicaid issues. The DHS is also an excellent source for general information about the benefits you may be eligible for or are already enrolled in. 

Other programs, like FoodShare and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), also offer up-to-date news to help you stay informed. You can find more information about FoodShare news and updates at FoodShare: News for Members (https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/foodshare/news.htm). HUD offers news and updates at HUD News. 

As things are quickly changing, it’s hard not to become anxious about changes to the programs affording you the healthcare you need or the housing you depend on. To help ease this uncertainty, finding the most up-to-date information from a reliable source is essential. The best practice is to go straight to the source and visit the newsrooms of the programs you seek information about. Many of these resources also have email lists that you can sign up for. This will send the news directly to your inbox, making staying current on updates and news easy and convenient. If internet access is limited, visit a local library and ask for help accessing the above sources.