The Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) in San Jose, with over 5,000 beneficiaries, accepts claims for many different types of benefits related to several U.S. Government agencies. At our office, you may file your application for retirement, spousal, widow/er, or children's benefits, among others. Beneficiaries receive their money from the Social Security Administration (SSA), Veterans Affairs (VA), or Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

How to Contact Us:

Most of our business can be conducted over the phone, so please call us and, if needed, you will be given an appointment.

The Federal Benefit Unit can assist you over the phone, so please call (506) 2519-2228 between 8:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. Monday through Friday. It is very important to remember that for the protection of your confidential information we can only discuss your case with you and you must have your Social Security number in hand when you call.

The Federal Benefits Unit uses a "Q-Matic" system such as you might see at the deli counter of the grocery store. When you arrive at the main lobby of the Consular Section building, please take a letter C ticket/number and then have a seat in our waiting room. We only ask that you be patient, as some clients require more time than others, therefore, we may not get to you as quickly as you would like. Rest assured that we will see you as soon as possible.

Almost all post-entitlement issues, for those already receiving payments, can be solved over the phone. Please remember that we can only discuss the case with the beneficiary or a representative appointed by SSA no one else. 

In case you cannot reach us by telephone, you can get in contact with the FBU Unit at any time, at the following email address: 
consularsanjose@state.gov or fax: (506) 2291-1032

SERVICES PROVIDED

The Federal Benefits Unit can assist you with the following issues:

• Applications for retirement, disability or survivor benefits. 
• Applications for Social Security numbers. 
• Applications for new, replacement and/or corrected Social Security cards. 
• Applications for enrollment or cancellation of Medicare (please note that Medicare does not cover outside the USA). Applications for establishment of a representative payee (i.e., when the beneficiary is not able to receive or manage his/her own benefits) 
• Changes/corrections to your record (name, address, death of a beneficiary, etc.) 
• Information about the Direct Deposit (DD) program. 
• Missing or delayed payments. 
  Important Note for Department of Defense Retirees: Department of Defense retirees must deal directly with their Defense Finance and Accounting Service Center office in the United States.

DIRECT DEPOSIT (DD) PROGRAM:

Monthly payments can be directly deposited into the beneficiaries' designated Costa Rican bank accounts. This system increases the speed with which you can receive your benefits (almost always by the fifth day of the month) and is significantly more secure than the mailing of paper checks, which are subject to theft and loss.

RECORD-KEEPING:

It is suggested that recipients keep a record of payments received: date, amount, agency (SSA, VA, etc.) This information assists in resolving problems with the non-receipt of payments and overpayments due to duplicate payments that may result in interruption of your benefits. 

EVENTS THAT BENEFICIARIES MUST REPORT TO SSA: 

Change of citizenship; change of address; work outside the U.S.; a disabled person who returns to work or if disability improves; marriage; divorce or annulment; adoption of a child; child leaves the care of representative payee; child nearing age 18 is a full-time student or is disabled; death; inability to manage funds; deportation or removal from the U.S.; changes in parental circumstances; eligibility for a pension from work not covered by Social Security.

It is very important that you tell us if your address changes so your payments will not be delayed. Even if your payments are being sent to a bank, you must report any of the changes described above.

Individuals who do not keep their records current may run the risk of having their benefits suspended.

The following links to specific U.S. Government benefits-granting agencies are provided for your assistance. Please note that these sites are designed primarily for use within the United States; however, the SSA and VA sites have special pages devoted to international issues.

• Social Security Administration
• Veterans Administration
• Railroad Board
• Department of Labor
• Office of Personnel Management 
• Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

Applying for a Social Security Number:

If you are a U.S. citizen residing in Costa Rica and need to apply for a Social Security number, you must complete application form SS-5 and then submit it in person at the Consular Section's Federal Benefits Unit. In addition to the application form, you must also include a copy of your U.S. passport and a certified copy of a birth certificate recorded before age 5. There is no fee for this service.

In the above scenarios, you should receive your Social Security card within three weeks of completing the application process.
First-time applicants born in the United States age 12 or older must apply in person and complete an additional statement explaining the delay, in addition, must submit school records, employment records, travel documents (e.g. passports), etc., to prove that he/she has been living outside the U.S. 

The Social Security Administration is required by law to verify birth certificates presented as evidence in such cases with the registrar of vital statistics in the claimed U.S. place of birth. In such cases, the process of obtaining a Social Security card could last up to one or two months since the verification is done by another agency. However, SSA/FBU always tries to process them immediately to expedite the process. 

U.S. Citizen Children Born in Costa Rica: 

Many (though not all) children born in Costa Rica to U.S. citizen parents may be documented as U.S. citizens through the Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) process. Parents can file an application for a child's Social Security number by presenting the CRBA and U.S. passport; they are also required to provide their own Social Security number, if they have one. The parent signing the application must also provide photo identification.

Non-Resident Aliens / Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN)

Several classes of non-resident aliens are required to obtain an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in order to file U.S. taxes. To obtain an ITIN, you must file IRS Form W-7 with the Internal Revenue Service. You may obtain a W-7 form via the Internet at http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw7.pdf . 

NON-SSA USES OF A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER

• Foreign Students: Some U.S. educational institutions use Social Security numbers for record-keeping purposes. Aliens not otherwise entitled to a Social Security number and planning on attending school in the United States should ask the school to assign them its own internal number. The Social Security Administration will not grant you a Social Security number for this purpose.
• Financial Transactions: If a Social Security number is required to conduct business with a U.S. bank or financial institution and Federal law does not otherwise allow the issuance of a number, ask the Internal Revenue Service for a Form W-8, Certificate of Foreign Status.
• State Issues: Some U.S. states may require a Social Security number for record-keeping purposes. Aliens may not be granted a Social Security number issued for these purposes unless required by Federal law.

OTHER SERVICES:

Medicare Enrollment:

San Jose’s Federal Benefits Unit (FBU) can accept applications from eligible U.S. citizens wishing to sign up for Medicare. 

Medicare and coverage Overseas 

- Caution: However, you need to know that Medicare does not cover medical treatment outside the United States.

Medicare and coverage outside the U.S.

Medicare pays only for services in the 50 States: D.C.; and U.S. territories such as Puerto Rico. An exception is that Medicare will provide coverage in Canada and Mexico when an emergency occurs in the U.S. and the nearest hospital is over the border and is a matter of life or death. Finally, there are specific situations in which Medicare will cover medically necessary health care services if you are on a cruise ship near the border of Mexico or Canada. In any other situation or country Medicare will NOT pay for health services - even in emergency situations.

For official information on Medicare coverage outside the U.S., please review the pamphlet Medicare Coverage Outside the U.S., found at www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/11037.pdf .

Medicare Supplemental Insurance:

Medicare enrollees can buy supplemental insurance such as Medigap policies designed to fill "gaps" in the Original Medicare coverage. There are also Medicare Advantage Plans similar to HMOs and PPOs to which enrollees can sign up. There are other supplemental plans as well. These supplemental insurance plans may vary in areas of coverage and include additional premiums, deductibles, and co-payments. It is important that you know facts before signing up for anything. Learn more about Medigap, Medicare Advantage, and other supplemental insurance plans or polices by viewing Choosing a Medigap Policy at http://www.medicare.gov/Publications/Pubs/pdf/02110.pdf.

Medicare - How to obtain official information

Medicare is administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Servcies (HHS). HHS is the source for official information regarding Medicare and benefits. You may write to them at:

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
7500 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850 

On-Line: Official information about Medicare is also available on at http://www.medicare.gov/ . 

Phone: Official information about Medicare can also be obtained by calling 1-800-633-4227.

To Report Medicare Fraud: How to Report Fraud and Abuse-1-800-HHS-TIPS (1-800-447-8477)
 

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