19

THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, March 24, 2023 Page 19 OBITUARIES Ermelinda “Mimi” Callahan Of Malden. Passed away March 15, 2023. Mimi was born in Everett on January 26th 1934. She was the daughter of Michael and Theresa (Hill) Russo. She was raised in Everett until she married Edward Callahan and settled in Malden together with their children Edward J. and Deborah. Edward Callahan passed in 1963 in the line of duty as a Malden Police Offi cer. Later in life, she met Paul Bentley and the two shared 26 years together blending their families. In her younger years she was a part of the junior aide, and worked as a hostess. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends. Ermelinda is survived by her longtime partner Paul Bentley, her grandson Joshua Redmond, his wife Kelly and their children, her sister Ann Hughes of Somerville, as well as many other family members and longtime friends such as Ronnie and Ester Adamian who will miss her dearly. Ermelinda was predeceased by her fi rst husband Edward Callahan, her children Edward J. Callahan and Deborah Placetos, her sisters Joan Tracy, Roberta Reilly,Theresa Dingivan and Constance Murphy Visitation was held at the Weir- MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, Malden, on Monday, March 20. Funeral Services were held on Tuesday, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in the Immaculate Conception Church in Malden. Interment followed in Forest Dale Cemetery, Malden. MUSINGS | FROM PAGE 3 Insert smiley face. Enjoy: • Leash Up “Whatever happened to that leash law?! I was walking down the street and was nearly attacked by a dog! Thank you.” • Let the Buyer Beware “I’m calling about the caller in today’s Malden Observer (‘Why Gloria J. (Iacobacci) Pasciuto Of Malden. A longtime resident of Malden, passed away on Monday, March 20th, after a brief illness. Gloria was born in Cambridge in 1932, the daughter of Peter and Flavia Iacobacci. She was raised and educated in Medford, graduating from Medford High School with the Class of 1950. In 1954, Gloria married her sweetheart, Cosmo J. Pasciuto. They moved to Malden in 1960 where they raised their family. Gloria and Cosmo spent nearly 45 years together until Cosmo’s passing in 1998. Gloria worked for years as a secretary at many locations, most notably the John Hancock Life Insurance Company. She retired in 2008 at the age of 76. She was a longtime communicant of the Immaculate Conception Church in Malden. Gloria enjoyed reading, solving puzzles, cooking, and taking care of her family. She is survived by her children, Stephen and Carla Pasciuto of Saugus, Jimmy and Meredith Pasciuto of Dedham, and Cathy and Paul Ruggiero III of Peabody, her sister Rose and Vincent Sabella of Hopkinton, her grandchildren, Michael, Stephen, Gregory, Deanna, Nicole, Gina, and Daniel, and her great-grandchildren Stella, Sophie, Calia, and Theo. Visitation was held at the Weir-MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, 144 Salem ST, Malden funeral home on Thursday, March 23rd. Funeral Services will be held from on Friday, couldn’t the Glenwood residents cross the road,’ Speak Out, Aug. 31) I don’t understand why she would write about the traffi c on Glenwood St. Didn’t she know what the traffi c was like when she bought the house? Wake up! Look at the street before you buy it!” Thank you.” • Keep up Saint Rocco’s “This is in regard to the letter March 24th, at 9 AM followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in the Immaculate Conception Church, Malden, at 10 AM. Interment to follow in Puritan Lawn Cemetery, Peabody, MA. In lieu of fl owers, donations in Gloria’s memory may be made to St. Judes Childrens Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 https://www.stjude. org/give/memorials-and-dedications.html Mary G. (Cocco) Smeglin Of Malden. Passed away on March 17, 2023. She was 94 years old. Mary was a lifelong resident of Malden and loved providing for her children and grandchildren. Mary was the wife of the late Ferdinand Smeglin. She was the daughter of the late Augustine and Amelia (Constantine) Cocco. Mary was the beloved mother of Fred Smeglin of Revere, William Smeglin and his wife Barbara of Wakefi eld, and Maryann Smeglin of Malden. She was the sister of the late Morris Cocco, Vincent Cocco, and Emilio Cocco. Mary was the cherished grandmother of William M. Smeglin, Shaina Smeglin, and Shawn Smeglin. Visitation was held at the A. J. Spadafora Funeral Home, in Malden on Tuesday March 21st followed by a Mass of Christian Burial celebrating Mary’s life at the Immaculate Conception Church. Interment was in Holy Cross Cemetery, Malden. In lieu of fl owers donations in Mary’s memory may be made to Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital at stjude.org concerning Saint Rocco’s (‘Caller should know better than to rap Saint Rocco’s Festival,’ Aug 31). I think it is one of the best churches in the city and I think the Saint Rocco’s Festival was great. Let’s keep up the good work. Thank you.” • Some Thoughts on St. RocMUSINGS| SEE PAGE 20 aavvyvy S avy avvy S oiorenniioor nior by Jim Miller How to Appeal Medicare Surcharges When Your Income Changes Dear Savvy Senior, Is there anything I can do to reduce my high Medicare premium surcharges? Because of my past income, I pay $329.70 per month for my Part B premium and $64.50/month for Part D, but my income has dropped since I retired. Do I have any options? Overcharged Andy Dear Andy, If you’re getting hit with a higher premium for Medicare Part B and Part D and you think it’s unjustifi ed, you can ask Social Security to revisit its decision and perhaps reduce your cost. Here’s what you should know. Medicare Surcharges Many retirees don’t realize that monthly premiums for Medicare Part B (coverage for doctor’s services and outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drug coverage) are based on your modifi ed adjusted gross income from two years earlier. So, to determine your 2023 Medicare premium, Social Security uses your 2021 tax return. In those two years, however, your life can change in ways your 2021 tax return and current Medicare premium don’t refl ect. Sometimes, those changes are enough to convince Social Security that your Medicare premium should be reduced. Part B’s standard monthly premium in 2023 is $164.90 for individuals earning $97,000 or less; it’s $194,000 or less for joint fi lers. Anyone whose income exceeds those thresholds pays a higher premium, also known as an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount (IRMAA), or surcharge. The higher monthly premiums rise steadily from $230.80 to $560.50 through fi ve income tiers. The same tiers apply to IRMAAs for Medicare Part D, with enrollees paying an extra $12.20 to $76.40 per month depending on their income. About 7 percent, or 4.4 million higher-income Medicare benefi ciaries pay a surcharge on their monthly Part B and/or Part D premiums. Reasons for Appealing In certain situations, Social Security will recalculate your premiums – known as a redetermination – for Part B and Part D, particularly if the agency based the cost on a tax return that was later amended. Otherwise, there are seven life-changing events that qualify for a redetermination if they hurt your income: marriage, death of a spouse, divorce or annulment, reduced work hours or retirement, involuntary loss of income-producing property, the loss or reduction of some types of pension income, and an employer settlement payment because the company went bankrupt or reorganized. How to File a Claim To ask Social Security for a redetermination, you’ll need to complete Form SSA-44 (SSA.gov/forms/ssa-44-ext.pdf) and include supporting documents, such as the death certifi cate for a spouse or a letter from a former employer stating that you’re now retired. If you fi led your federal income tax return for the year that your income was reduced, you will also need to provide a signed copy. A decision usually takes a few weeks, but if you had one of the events that Social Security considers life-changing, you should win the appeal. In that case, Social Security will reimburse you for the additional premiums by adding it to your benefi t one month. If you are on Medicare but haven’t started collecting Social Security, you should see a credit on a future invoice. If your request for a redetermination is denied, there are three additional levels of appeals you could try: to the Offi ce of Medicare Hearings and Appeals, to the Medicare Appeals Council and fi nally to the federal district court where you live. For more information on the premium rules for high-income benefi ciaries see SSA.gov/benefi ts/medicare/medicare-premiums.html. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

20 Publizr Home