Medicaid issues and not having a legal name change. Any advice?

The name I was born with (birth certificate and social security card) is not the name I go by today. I changed my first name by starting to use the new first name nearly 45 years ago. In between I have been married 3 times thus last names were different each time.

In the past this was never a problem or issue. Until all these new rules and laws came into effect. Recently, in order to secure a TSA precheck, I had to show up with ALL of my information - birth certificate, ss card, 1st marriage license/divorce papers, 2nd marriage/divorce papers, and 3rd marriage papers. Quite the undertaking when spanning more than half a century! But even though 1-3rd marriage information showed my changed first name, it was a no-go. I actually had to go file court papers to do an 'official and legal' first name change - and then, of course, go back to TSA with ALL the paperwork again, plus the new legal papers. And btw -- just had to go through all this again to apply for our state's enhanced driver's license.

So ask Auntie about the name change and perhaps you can build a paper trail that can be presented.

Easiest option would be to legally change her name. Longer option would be to re-do and refile all paperwork with her legal name.

Well this is a lesson to everyone. SS# are issued at time of birth now. Make sure the Birth Certificate is correct. The SS card should be just like the Birth certificate. These are the two things that identify you. Whatever your nickname is or what you like to be called, you should always fill out paperwork the way your birth certificate reads. For woman, marriage does change that so you need to keep that proof, even if you divorce. Make the necessary changes whenever u change your name. Getting a Passport requires proof of every change of name.

Maine127: This question needs to be directed to your attorney.

Will not give my opinion, but what you have to do is meet with a Social Security Rep (preferably in your home district) . They act as judge and jury and will make a determination. Good luck.

What name is on her driver's license and SS card?

My mom (93) at some point started to use her maiden name as her middle name later in life for some odd reason. That's what she put on her driver's license shen she moved from FL to MN. Both names started with the letter D and it wasn't an issue until she tried to have her very lont Italian maiden name spelled out on her license but it was too long and they couldn't fit it and it peeved her off. When I found out about this I had her correct it right away so that her name matched her marriage license, her Medicare policy, her driver's license, her house title, etc. Even though she left my birth father 63 years ago, she never got divorced so she is stuck with his last name on her marriage license.

Many people are unaware how casually changing their names can create a problem later on, so this should be on a check list for adult children when they are helping parents get their legal ducks in a row.

To put a finer piont on the whole accuracy and consistency issue: my physical home address has always been XX West Point Circle, T.B. (name of small town)."West" is the name of the family that homesteaded the property on the "Point" of land I live on. So, not named after the academy and not a direction (N, S, E, W).

But now with the streamlining of addresses for the purposes of home delivery, the USPS has decided that my address: XX W Pt. Circle, E (the name of the town next to mine where the PO actually resides). All my bills and mail and packages go to this altered version which I myself have never used as my address, ever. However, my driver's license has the original version on it, so does my house title and cc billing address.

The last time I went to renew my driver's license I wanted a Real ID type so that it also functioned as a "lower level" Passport (into Mexico, Canada) but they wouldn't give me one because none of the other proofs of my identity matched that original address on my license (my bank statement, utility bills, etc. all use the altered version even though I go into my account portals to try to change it. It never works, even when I call them). Besides now being never able to get a Real ID license, a main reason I don't want to use the "govt issued" version of my address is because it erases the history of my neighborhood, not to mention it doesn't reflect where I actually live (the town). When I contacted the USPS my request went into a black hole.

A tanget story, but supports making sure sooner rather than later to make sure there is consistency and accuracy of name and address on everything before our parents (and ourselves) lose the ability to easily correct it.

We had a similar problem but knew about it by the time we applied for Medicaid. My mom was born Sandra and that’s what it reads on her birth certificate, she always used Sandy and that what it reads on her license and Social Security card but her name was legally changed at some point to Elizabeth so she could inherit her aunts silver or something so when she went on Medicare she was suddenly Elizabeth. We had no idea until she went into the hospital! She was also married and simply switched the last name she used to her maiden name at some point after that by going back to using it no formal change anywhere. It wasn’t a problem when we filed for Medicaid I simply told them and it was obvious that she used Sandra/Sandy but for Medicare was Elizabeth. You are dealing with a different last name though too so I imagine you will need to explain the reason for the change and show where it happened if you can via official things like bank accounts mail, license, Social Security or something. I’m amazed you found the birth certificate if you were asking for a compleatly different name, first and last. Is she lucid enough to ask her about this? It would at least give you an explanation to give to Medicaid. With us they didn’t really seem to care and of course now my mom wants to change it to Sandy on Medicaid and Medicare, I know that’s a can of worms!

What does her Medicare and license say. Especially her drivers license. You have to provide a birthcertificate to get drivers license. Social Security, how does that card read. Again, birth certificate has to be provided.

There are multiple ways to legally change a name without having to go through the more common name change via a court order. Just one example -- likely the one most well known -- is when the marriage certificate certifies the name change.

Another well known time of name change is during immigration and naturalization to the U.S. Oh, and another is during a divorce.

As long as there is a clear path in the paperwork of when the name was changed, Medicaid shouldn't care. But...that is the conundrum...trying to prove a clear path of when and why a change occurred when the family didn't even know about the change in the first place. Talking to the attorney is the best option, yet also focusing on finding the paper trail of her life might help too.

Thanks for the info. She was never adopted and in fact had about 7 brothers and sisters. We honestly do not think it as ever officially changed anywhere and they sort of Americanized it as a friend of her said. We tried asking and got no where with her so basically have up on that one. When she got married she used the new Americanized name as we
found the marriage certificate but there is no trail of the name ever being officially changed We still can’t believe this hasn’t presented a problem until now bit what do we know. Will keep you informed

Maybe she was adopted? When your adopted you get a second birth certificate. The new birth certificate shows that date of issue. The parents names are changed to the adopted parents.

Did she ever get a passport? They will ask every name you were known by and proof of the change. I had my adoption papers which showed my birth name then my adopted. I did not have my marriage certificate from my first marriage but had my divorce papers. Then my now marriage certifcate. And believe me, they know if you haven't sent in complete info. I never thought about my birth name because I never used it. I got a letter saying something was wrong and they would research for a certain amount of money. Thats when I realized that they needed my adoption papers. My daughter is adopted by my now husband. I kept her original birth certificate and her adopted one for this reason for her passport.

I will assume Aunt is not cognitive or you would be asking her. Are there any older family members or friends that may know her story?

Any chance Auntie can answer this one? Such as "When did you change your first name? Why? When did you change your second name? For what reason?
I am glad you are going to get professional advice. We are free to change our name in this country and when it happens you are down to an application that says AKA and the two names are on all submissions. You would, I would think, attach a letter as to when and how name was changed (marriage, court order, nothing). This is complicated in that the first AND last were changed, so I sure would run this one past the attorney. Good luck. Hope you will update us how this works.