Liz Weston: Social Security survivor benefits only take effect if couple have been married for at least 10 years

Dear Liz: My boyfriend’s ex-wife died last year. Can he apply for social security benefits at the age of 48 even if she remarried when she died?

Reply: The ex’s marital status doesn’t matter. What matters is whether your boyfriend has been married to her for at least 10 years.

If the marriage lasted at least that long, your boyfriend would be eligible for survivor benefits at age 60, assuming he had not remarried by then. If he is disabled, he can apply at age 50. And if he is looking after his ex-wife’s children who are under 16 or disabled, then he can apply at any age.

Survivor benefit recipients can get married at age 60 or later without losing those benefits. (Note that this marriage clause only applies to survivor benefits. People receiving spousal benefits based on a living ex’s work history cannot remarry without losing those benefits.)

Dear Liz: You recently wrote about Medicare Advantage plans, which often cover things like dental, hearing, and vision that traditional health insurance doesn’t cover. You mentioned that the plans have supplier networks, but people should know that those networks don’t always include the experts they might need if they develop serious health issues. The plans themselves can have copayments that make disease expensive. If people want to switch to traditional health insurance and get an additional Medigap policy, they may be faced with medical underwriting that could increase their costs.

Reply: Medicare Advantage plans are sold by private insurers as an all-in-one alternative to traditional health insurance. The plans are certainly popular – the percentage of Medicare beneficiaries who enroll in Medicare Advantage has steadily increased over the years, in part because these private plans seem to cover more. But plans can vary widely in the extent of their networks and in the way they share costs with beneficiaries.

Once you’ve signed up for Medicare Advantage, switching to traditional Medicare can be problematic, as you have noted. Insurers are not required to cover you as they are when you first enroll. Some may refuse to offer you a Medigap policy or may charge you more, depending on your condition.

Liz Weston, Certified Financial Planner, is a personal finance columnist for NerdWallet. Questions can be sent to him at 3940 Laurel Canyon, No. 238, Studio City, CA 91604, or by using the “Contact” form at asklizweston.com.