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Home > About USPS & News > Forms & Publications > Postal Periodicals and Publications > Manuals > Employee and Labor Relations Manual - Issue 18 > 5 Employee Benefits > 570 Social Security and Medicare
570 Social Security and Medicare
This subchapter on Social Security and Medicare is designed to be illustrative
and provide general guidance. Employees with specific questions concerning
their Social Security or Medicare should address those questions to the
nearest office of the Social Security Administration. Social Security
information is also available on the Internet at http://www.ssa.gov or by phone
at 1-800-772-1213 and TTY 1-800-325-0778.
571.2 Social Security
Social Security (SS) is the federal government's basic method of providing a
continuing income to workers and their families when their earnings are
terminated or reduced because of retirement, disability, or death. Social
Security insurance payments are not meant to replace all lost earnings;
therefore, employees are encouraged to supplement Social Security
payments with savings, private pensions, investments, or other insurance.
The Social Security Act and related laws have established a number of
programs to accomplish the above objectives. Retirement, survivors, and
disability insurance payments, commonly known as Social Security Benefits,
are among the programs administered by the Social Security Administration
(SSA).
The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) is responsible for
administering the federal health insurance program commonly known as
Medicare. This program was established to provide comprehensive health
insurance protection for people age 65 or older and certain disabled people.
Medicare is composed of two parts - hospital insurance and medical
insurance. In most instances, a person must file an application for benefits
and must meet certain eligibility requirements to actually receive benefits
under those programs.
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