I have followed President Clinton and Hillary Clinton's desire to put into place a new national health program. I wonder if the new program is going to be as efficient as the present Social Security program.

I will be eligible for Social Security benefits in May 1994. I phoned the national Social Security office to request instructions on how to apply. After dialing for 45 minutes and getting a busy signal, I finally got a recording that repeated over and over again that my call was important to them so stay on the line. I stayed on the line for one hour and 11 minutes before I was able to talk to a real person.The person advised me that I couldn't apply until three months ahead of my birthday. I advised her that four months before my birthday I was leaving the country to go on assignment to Fiji for two years and would not be here to apply.

She advised me that rather than Social Security offices making an exception to their three-month application time I had two options: wait for two years until I returned to the United States or, fly home and apply according to their time schedule.

Feeling that perhaps the Salt Lake Social Security offices might be more sympathetic to my problem, I dialed them. The busy signal was only for 32 minutes before I got the recording saying my call was important to them so stay on the line. I did, for 48 minutes. The recording was in more detail this time stating where to come and that they had no free parking.

When I finally got a real person, she was much nicer than the national girl and more knowledgeable. She said they only took applications two months before the birthday and rather than them making a simple exception in my case I had three options: I could wait until I returned in two years to apply or fly home to apply at their proper time or go to the nearest embassy (900 miles in open dugout) and apply there.

Glen A. Hoggan

Salt Lake City

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