2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

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557880yvi
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2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by 557880yvi »

I have a 2 word 1st name - 2 words with a space between and no middle name. And never changed my name when I married for professional reasons so have used this same name legally, my entire life. Where I was born almost 65 years ago, it was extremely common (and still is to this day) for both female and male children to have a 2 word first name and no middle name.

Wondering if any Bogleheads have experienced this incredibly frustrating problem, that has now become so important with "Real ID". Social Security and by default, Medicare, claim that their systems are unable to handle a 2 word 1st name or a name with a hyphen, apostrophe or anything other than one word in the first name space. They jam both words together and create a one word name

Example: Billy Bob or Mary Lou are the legal 1st names but Soc Sec (which feeds to Medicare) make them Billybob and Marylou on the Soc Sec and Medicare cards.

My birth certificate does not even have a place for a middle name and my original Soc Sec card issued decades ago appeared to confirm this (in other words it did not show my name as Mary L., presuming Lou to be the middle name, it showed Mary Lou) It has been a battle all my working life to make sure my employment tax records, as well all legal documents (mortgage, deeds, wills, trusts etc.) show Mary Lou as my legal first name with no middle name.

The first encounter with a problem came 2 years ago when my driver's license had to be renewed and I needed a Real ID - my RMV (nor the Passport office) never had a problem with listing my first name as Mary Lou with no middle name, and all my documents synced. HOWEVER, back in the day, Soc Sec cards were laminated with plastic you can't use a laminated Soc Sec card to get a real ID driver's licence (at least not my state). SO - had to request a new Soc Sec card (some 50 years after the 1st and only card had been issued) and it arrived with Marylou printed on it, not Mary Lou. And NOPE, even though every other document I brought to the RMV (28 of them!) showed my legal name as Mary Lou - in the eyes of the RMV my legal name was Marylou and I could not get a real ID because Soc Sec says that was my legal name and none of the other supporting documents matched this. Long story short, after 6 day-long visits to the local SS office and RMV, a manager in the SS office did something in some "back-end" system to get a new Soc Sec card printed that listed my name as Mary Lou. RMV was happy, got my Real ID - thought life would be smooth from that point. Problem solved or so I thought (think the "solution" was to make Lou the middle name temporarily to print the new Soc Sec card then it reverted back).

Just applied for Medicare and the Medicare card is printed as Marylou which again does not match anything else. :oops: The insurance company from whom I will be purchasing my Medigap plan says I have to sign up exactly as it is on my Medicare care, and my health care providers all say that my name in their system has to match the Medicare card so it will have to be changed to the wrong name and I literally become a new person in their system. AND - the credit reporting agencies will now be getting information under my SS # that I am using a different name.

I have spent 3 weeks and more than 40 hours on the phone with SS, Medicare the local SS office (apparently only the local office can deal with name changes and currently won't allow an in-person visit). The local office sees the all the records and notes from 2 years ago - have 3 times now said they were going to send a correction to the Federal SS office (who sends the request to the Medicare Payments system electronically to issue a card) to fix it - of course, nothing has changed and the Federal SS office says nope, can't have a 2 word 1st name. I need to sign up for my Medigap plan in the next 30 days and know it will be an ID nightmare if this is not fixed before then (each time one needs a new Soc Sec or Medicare card it takes 3-4 weeks so I am at the end of time to get this corrected).

There must be millions of people in the US with a 2 word or hyphenated 1st name. Have any Bogleheads encountered this and found a way to get it fixed?

Thank you!!
Mr. Rumples
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

Assuming the 2 word 1st name matches the documents submitted, then they are not following their own policies. Contact constituent services of your national Congressperson or Senator (federal, not state).

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205120

see also:

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212055
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
michaeljc70
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by michaeljc70 »

I don't have any answers for you, but can relate. My spouse has 2 last names (common in their culture) and it has lead to multiple problems. These include a driver's license with part of the last name in the middle name field, airline tickets not accepted and needing to be re-bought, etc.
Topic Author
557880yvi
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by 557880yvi »

Mr. Rumples wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:20 am Assuming the 2 word 1st name matches the documents submitted, then they are not following their own policies. Contact constituent services of your national Congressperson or Senator (federal, not state).

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205120

see also:

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212055
Thank you! Did not even know these existed
exodusNH
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by exodusNH »

557880yvi wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:11 am I have a 2 word 1st name - 2 words with a space between and no middle name. And never changed my name when I married for professional reasons so have used this same name legally, my entire life. Where I was born almost 65 years ago, it was extremely common (and still is to this day) for both female and male children to have a 2 word first name and no middle name.

Wondering if any Bogleheads have experienced this incredibly frustrating problem, that has now become so important with "Real ID". Social Security and by default, Medicare, claim that their systems are unable to handle a 2 word 1st name or a name with a hyphen, apostrophe or anything other than one word in the first name space. They jam both words together and create a one word name

Example: Billy Bob or Mary Lou are the legal 1st names but Soc Sec (which feeds to Medicare) make them Billybob and Marylou on the Soc Sec and Medicare cards.

My birth certificate does not even have a place for a middle name and my original Soc Sec card issued decades ago appeared to confirm this (in other words it did not show my name as Mary L., presuming Lou to be the middle name, it showed Mary Lou) It has been a battle all my working life to make sure my employment tax records, as well all legal documents (mortgage, deeds, wills, trusts etc.) show Mary Lou as my legal first name with no middle name.

The first encounter with a problem came 2 years ago when my driver's license had to be renewed and I needed a Real ID - my RMV (nor the Passport office) never had a problem with listing my first name as Mary Lou with no middle name, and all my documents synced. HOWEVER, back in the day, Soc Sec cards were laminated with plastic you can't use a laminated Soc Sec card to get a real ID driver's licence (at least not my state). SO - had to request a new Soc Sec card (some 50 years after the 1st and only card had been issued) and it arrived with Marylou printed on it, not Mary Lou. And NOPE, even though every other document I brought to the RMV (28 of them!) showed my legal name as Mary Lou - in the eyes of the RMV my legal name was Marylou and I could not get a real ID because Soc Sec says that was my legal name and none of the other supporting documents matched this. Long story short, after 6 day-long visits to the local SS office and RMV, a manager in the SS office did something in some "back-end" system to get a new Soc Sec card printed that listed my name as Mary Lou. RMV was happy, got my Real ID - thought life would be smooth from that point. Problem solved or so I thought (think the "solution" was to make Lou the middle name temporarily to print the new Soc Sec card then it reverted back).

Just applied for Medicare and the Medicare card is printed as Marylou which again does not match anything else. :oops: The insurance company from whom I will be purchasing my Medigap plan says I have to sign up exactly as it is on my Medicare care, and my health care providers all say that my name in their system has to match the Medicare card so it will have to be changed to the wrong name and I literally become a new person in their system. AND - the credit reporting agencies will now be getting information under my SS # that I am using a different name.

I have spent 3 weeks and more than 40 hours on the phone with SS, Medicare the local SS office (apparently only the local office can deal with name changes and currently won't allow an in-person visit). The local office sees the all the records and notes from 2 years ago - have 3 times now said they were going to send a correction to the Federal SS office (who sends the request to the Medicare Payments system electronically to issue a card) to fix it - of course, nothing has changed and the Federal SS office says nope, can't have a 2 word 1st name. I need to sign up for my Medigap plan in the next 30 days and know it will be an ID nightmare if this is not fixed before then (each time one needs a new Soc Sec or Medicare card it takes 3-4 weeks so I am at the end of time to get this corrected).

There must be millions of people in the US with a 2 word or hyphenated 1st name. Have any Bogleheads encountered this and found a way to get it fixed?

Thank you!!
This sounds incredibly frustrating.

I fear you are going to continue having these problems. The people who spec the systems don't take these cases into account. The people in other countries writing the code don't double check anything.

There are many intermediate systems, some very old, that all play a part in this. (Not to mention sharing data between different agencies and organizations.) The "no spaces" policy could be due to a 40 year old back end system that would turn "Mary Lou Smith" into a person with a first name of Mary and a last name of "Lou Smith", or even "Lou-Smith".

You can certainly complain to your representatives. Maybe they'll adjust the requirements for the next update cycle.

I feel sorry for the young girl named La-a that my mother in law taught... How would you pronounce that?

Nope.

It's "Ladasha" because "the dash ain't silent."

I bet her medicare card is going to be issued to Laa.

And then there was the person who was of Asian descent. His last name transliterated simply as "O". No government system in the US would accept a single character as a last name. I think he finally settled on "Oh", but I bet he has all sorts of problems with every other account system in the world with only a 2 character name.
Mr. Rumples
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

You are more than welcome. Hopefully that will help. As always, keep a log of with whom you spoke and when and the duration and so forth.
"History is the memory of time, the life of the dead and the happiness of the living." Captain John Smith 1580-1631
J295
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by J295 »

I didn't fully track the facts, but my first name appears in different ways in different systems and it's never been an issue (i.e. Legal name Billy but I started using Bill as I matured and it's that way on professional license, deeds, etc.). When something like SSN or passport require "Billy" I use it.

Can you just use whatever version is needed in each system to get yourself from point A to point B with as little stress as possible. (i.e. Mary, or Marylou, etc. as needed).

Good luck!
andypanda
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Location: Richmond, Virginia

Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by andypanda »

I can't help, but 40 years ago I signed a client up for a state program and we caused a few heads to explode and a computer system to burp. It was a multi-week battle with the central office in Richmond. His name?

Sir Walter Raleigh <no middle name> Lincoln
Topic Author
557880yvi
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by 557880yvi »

andypanda wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 9:39 am I can't help, but 40 years ago I signed a client up for a state program and we caused a few heads to explode and a computer system to burp. It was a multi-week battle with the central office in Richmond. His name?

Sir Walter Raleigh <no middle name> Lincoln
You just made my day :D
Topic Author
557880yvi
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by 557880yvi »

Mr. Rumples wrote: Tue Nov 30, 2021 8:20 am Assuming the 2 word 1st name matches the documents submitted, then they are not following their own policies. Contact constituent services of your national Congressperson or Senator (federal, not state).

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110205120

see also:

https://secure.ssa.gov/poms.nsf/lnx/0110212055
Excellent source and nothing about spaces not permitted! Am trying to call to let them know what their own POMS says - after being on hold for a long time each time, the call all of a sudden says "Thank you for calling Social Security, GOODBYE". Gotta love our taxpayer dollars at work.
Mr. Rumples
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by Mr. Rumples »

I think that is enough of a reasonable effort to now call constituent services.
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RMO87
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by RMO87 »

The trouble I sometimes have is an apostrophe in my last name. I usually do not include it, as many computers do not recognize "special characters."
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Eagle33
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by Eagle33 »

My spouse has a similar issue because uses first name initial and full middle name as legal name. Half the problem is we don't know if the institution entered it as the first name into their system or their system allows for the full middle name. Of course every institution has their own workarounds.
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557880yvi
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UPDATE Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by 557880yvi »

UPDATE and partial success!

Thank you Mr. Rumples for the links to the name policies. This helped with the conversation. So far this is what happened:

1. Local SS office (4th try) said name had to be corrected in the Medicare Payments System and not at Federal Soc Sec office (but no idea why). Today, it was partially corrected - the added a space between the 2 names, BUT the 2nd name is lower case so Mary lou.

2. HOWEVER - the Medicare Card is printed out in all CAPS! Whoo hoo so it says MARY LOU and no one will know that in the system it is lou. So, my Medicare card will match my other documents! And I can enroll in a Supplemental plan under my legal name.

3. UNFORTUNATELY - this does nothing to correct it at the Federal Soc Sec office. SO, name is still Marylou at SSA.gov. UGH. :oops: No one seems to know how to get this changed. Will persevere, it is now my mission.
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Sandtrap
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by Sandtrap »

In multi-cultural and extremely diverse, Hawaii, there are many that have this problem.(myself included). No solutions that I've seen for many I've met.

j :D
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Thesaints
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by Thesaints »

California also didn't allow a space in one's name (first, nor last).
They did not, until RealID struck and then they were forced to issue ID's in one's full legal name, with spaces and all...
makeitcount
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Re: 2 Word 1st Name - Soc Sec/Medicare can't handle in system?

Post by makeitcount »

sorry, have no real answers for you but i feel your pain. i have a two word last name and a common first name with an uncommon spelling. to make life even more interesting both words of my last name are also commonly used as first names. i find the easiest way for people to grasp what is going on is to use my middle initial when i write out my full name. good luck.
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