Change father's address with Social Security and Medicare without disrupting payments/coverage.

Question

I am my father's durable power of attorney and need to change his address with Social Security and Medicare to ensure all his mail is sent to me in California, while he resides in a skilled nursing facility in Massachusetts with dementia. This is crucial to avoid any disruption in his Social Security payments and Medicare coverage. It's the first time I am attempting this change, and since no one is living at his current address, I need the mail redirected to me as soon as possible. What is the best legal way to handle this address change?

James L. Arrasmith · Answer

As your father's durable power of attorney, you can update his address with Social Security by calling their national number at 1-800-772-1213 or visiting your local Social Security office with your power of attorney documentation, your ID, and your father's Social Security number. You'll need to explain the situation and provide proof of your authority to make changes on his behalf. 
 
For Medicare, the good news is that when you update the address with Social Security, Medicare will automatically be notified since both systems are connected. However, you should also contact any Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription plans he might have separately, as these private plans maintain their own records and won't be updated through Social Security. 
 
Consider setting up a temporary mail forwarding with USPS as a backup while these changes process, which typically takes a few weeks. Remember to bring copies of the durable power of attorney documents to any in-person appointments, and when calling, request written confirmation of the changes to ensure everything was processed correctly.

Q: Change father's address with Social Security and Medicare without disrupting payments/coverage.