Another medicare question.

[SaltwaterSlick]

Your last sentence is not true. You must sign up for medicare whether you use it or not. Read your SS news letter. I went thru this crap when I retired. Because I didn't pay into SS I didn't think I needed to sign up for medicare, wrong. And because the City I worked for was paying for my healthcare. Because I delayed signing up I pay 20% more in medicare premiums. I write a monthly check for medicare.

Again: Read your Social Security news letter. The info is highlighted.

This is ABSOLUTELY FALSE! My wife and I are going through this right now.

My wife contacted SS and Medicare before she became 65... She indeed signed up for the Medicare Part A and nothing else. There was NO CHARGE and she was covered by my health plan at my company. We continued on as before after that. Medicare Part A is for hospitalization only. She's never had to go to the hospital, so never used it, never gave the card to our Primary care clinic, any specialists, no one. I am about to retire at the end of this year. I never signed up for Medicare. I will turn 70 in January. I contacted Medicare and told them I was retiring and wanted to sign up for Medicare... They asked me some questions, emailed me 2 forms to fill out and upload, fax or bring to the local office. (Form CMS-40B and CMS Employment Verification Form 062023). My Medicare will start January 6, 2023 with NO PENALTY, no nothing other than charges that I will incur after I choose which Part B and D I want. My wife has to fill out Form CMS-40B to choose her Part B and D. The only difference is IF you do not sign up in the initial open enrollment period which is when you turn 65+/- 3 months of your birthday, you cannot sign up for your plan on line only it requires a "visit" to the office... In my case, the "visit" is a phone visit where the Medicare folks call me. That will happen tomorrow morning, and that's when my enrollment will be completed.
That's it, that's all there is to it.


Randy, do yourself a BIG Favor, get in touch with an agent that is trustworthy and life will become MUCH easier with respect to Medicare and Social Security. Make sure the agent is an "Independent" agent that can write supplemental plans for multiple companies, and not just Aetna, United, etc, etc. Their fees are covered by the commission they receive from writing the insurance. You don't pay them a plug nickle. If the agent asks you to pay ANYTHING up front in the way of a service fee RUN AWAY INSTANTLY!!


I'd suggest you talk to others in your community (church, at work, hunting buddies, etc.) and try to get a personal recommendation from one of them for an agent to contact.



What TVC posted above and what I've just posted in this post, is EXACTLY how it works. It's not complicated and it's not hard, but you do need someone you can trust to just get you started.

[Jon Stewart]

This is ABSOLUTELY FALSE! My wife and I are going through this right now.

My wife contacted SS and Medicare before she became 65... She indeed signed up for the Medicare Part A and nothing else. There was NO CHARGE and she was covered by my health plan at my company. We continued on as before after that. Medicare Part A is for hospitalization only. She's never had to go to the hospital, so never used it, never gave the card to our Primary care clinic, any specialists, no one. I am about to retire at the end of this year. I never signed up for Medicare. I will turn 70 in January. I contacted Medicare and told them I was retiring and wanted to sign up for Medicare... They asked me some questions, emailed me 2 forms to fill out and upload, fax or bring to the local office. (Form CMS-40B and CMS Employment Verification Form 062023). My Medicare will start January 6, 2023 with NO PENALTY, no nothing other than charges that I will incur after I choose which Part B and D I want. My wife has to fill out Form CMS-40B to choose her Part B and D. The only difference is IF you do not sign up in the initial open enrollment period which is when you turn 65+/- 3 months of your birthday, you cannot sign up for your plan on line only it requires a "visit" to the office... In my case, the "visit" is a phone visit where the Medicare folks call me. That will happen tomorrow morning, and that's when my enrollment will be completed.
That's it, that's all there is to it.


Randy, do yourself a BIG Favor, get in touch with an agent that is trustworthy and life will become MUCH easier with respect to Medicare and Social Security. Make sure the agent is an "Independent" agent that can write supplemental plans for multiple companies, and not just Aetna, United, etc, etc. Their fees are covered by the commission they receive from writing the insurance. You don't pay them a plug nickle. If the agent asks you to pay ANYTHING up front in the way of a service fee RUN AWAY INSTANTLY!!


I'd suggest you talk to others in your community (church, at work, hunting buddies, etc.) and try to get a personal recommendation from one of them for an agent to contact.



What TVC posted above and what I've just posted in this post, is EXACTLY how it works. It's not complicated and it's not hard, but you do need someone you can trust to just get you started.

No need to yell and kill the messenger. Because I can't post photo's I will type exactly what is in the box on everyone's SS News letter

AVOID A MEDICARE PENALTY
SIGN UP AT AGE 65

Even if you don't plan to receive monthly benefits, be sure to sign up for Medicare three months before turning age 65. If you don't sign up for Medicare Part B (medical insurance) when you are first eligible, your coverage might not start right away and you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have it. You can apply on line. Visit www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly for information to apply.

All what you wrote may be true. I can only write what is on the newsletter about applying. It was a nightmare for me and I pay a penalty because I didn't sign up at age 65 even though I was covered by Blue Cross and Blue shield by my employer. It certainly isn't worth taking the green screens word for it. Make an appointment.

Everyone pays for their medicare as it comes out of your social security check. The reason I write a monthly check is I didn't pay in to social security. Many firemen, police officers, postal workers and railroad workers are in the same boat.

Another thing to be aware of is they pay for only 100 total over night stays in the hospital. That is 100 in your life time. My wife was at Mayo and we were getting close to the 100 over night stays and they asked me if I was prepared to start paying for her daily hospital stays.

[Arrowsmith]

Randy. As Charlie mentioned above please call a Medicare advisor/consultant/agent. They can answer all your questions. It will cost you nothing other than a few minutes of your time.

One of the best around is Boomer Benefits in Ft. Worth. Heck....we use them and we are in Iowa.

All their service is free of charge. They are not going to try and sell you anything. I guarantee they will help you with any questions you may have.

https://boomerbenefits.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=branded&gclid=Cj0KCQjwkt6aBhDKARIsAAyeLJ0AdZj6wQL8xpt-o8Ew7JGgNrWhZFLlE4eaWYjE-_E4U9vu4LYouN4aAuzTEALw_wcB

https://youtu.be/htizd48Db10

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk

[PYBUCK]

Even if some say they signed up late with no penalty, why risk it. Sign up for Part A only, it's free and you only use it for hospitalization, your employee insurance covers the rest. If you don't sign up, and go to the hospital, your current insurance will probably deny the claim saying you should be covered by Midicare part A and you will be stuck with the bill. When you sign up for SS, then you can choose parts B&D.

[Goldeneagle]

Even if some say they signed up late with no penalty, why risk it. Sign up for Part A only, it's free and you only use it for hospitalization, your employee insurance covers the rest. If you don't sign up, and go to the hospital, your current insurance will probably deny the claim saying you should be covered by Midicare part A and you will be stuck with the bill. When you sign up for SS, then you can choose parts B&D.

This is what I'm going to do. I talked to a guy here at work that has just gone through this. I'll get an agent when I'm ready to retire.

[Geezy Rider]

Thats part of the problem. I don't have time during the day to call because I'm working.

I believe they are open for questions from 8am to 8pm 7 days a week. If that helps.

It can be frustrating dealing with them and just because the person you’re dealing with works there it doesn’t mean they know what they’re talking about but signing up should be fairly smooth.

[Texas Grown]

The way I'm seeing it, I will fall under the Special Enrollment Period because I'll still be working and covered under company plan. Part A is all I need to sign up for and it will not affect my HSA.

That is what I'm seeing as well.

The fish are biting and there's hogs to be kill-t. Gotta go!

[SaltwaterSlick]

Randy, Don't wait until you retire to talk to an agent. How you set things up right now can make a big difference in what you pay when you DO retire. What Jon Stewart posted is partly true.

If you call and get signed up for Medicare Part A, be sure and tell them you want A ONLY. If you do that, you'll be golden as long as you are employed by a company and covered by their approved plan. When you retire, you will not be able to just enroll in a Part B plan online. It will require a visit to an office (or at least a phone visit) and you will have to fill out the form CMS-40B and submit it. Once that is done, you will then be able to choose a plan that best fits your needs at the time. Not being able to do the initial sign up online is the only difference between choosing now during your initial enrollment period and choosing afterward at your retirement. Everything else is exactly the same.
A good agent can help you now to avoid mistakes and will be there to help guide you through the process when you do retire...

[Jon Stewart]

Randy, Don't wait until you retire to talk to an agent. How you set things up right now can make a big difference in what you pay when you DO retire. What Jon Stewart posted is partly true.

If you call and get signed up for Medicare Part A, be sure and tell them you want A ONLY. If you do that, you'll be golden as long as you are employed by a company and covered by their approved plan. When you retire, you will not be able to just enroll in a Part B plan online. It will require a visit to an office (or at least a phone visit) and you will have to fill out the form CMS-40B and submit it. Once that is done, you will then be able to choose a plan that best fits your needs at the time. Not being able to do the initial sign up online is the only difference between choosing now during your initial enrollment period and choosing afterward at your retirement. Everything else is exactly the same.
A good agent can help you now to avoid mistakes and will be there to help guide you through the process when you do retire...

I went thru all this 20 years ago. I am sure things may have changed during that time frame. I was just trying to save folks from undue grief. The part about 100 total hospital stays just happened as my wife died 3 plus years ago and that is when I went through that.

[Tejas Wildlife]

This is correct

All I know is if you sign up for SS you must start Medicare then.

I started receiving SSI at 66 due to still working and not wanting to be $$$$ penalized. Got my Medicare Part A card at 66 with SSI

[SaltwaterSlick]

I went thru all this 20 years ago. I am sure things may have changed during that time frame. I was just trying to save folks from undue grief. The part about 100 total hospital stays just happened as my wife died 3 plus years ago and that is when I went through that.

Jon, indeed the law has changed. That ability to keep working after 65 on a qualified health plan has only been available for a few years... 20 years ago, what you said was true. Fortunately for a lot of us who kept working and ignored the gubment, they did change the law so we don't have to pay that penalty...

[SaltwaterSlick]

All I know is if you sign up for SS you must start Medicare then.

Not true. I created my SS account just before 65... never touched Medicare until about 6 weeks ago... I turn 70 in January... If you're still working no need for Medicare for many people. I fell into that category.

[tvc184]

I don't know about the exceptions others have mentioned, tvc sounds like he has the best info but was under a government plan at the time. A relative of mine who did not have any insurance waited until tight around 65 to sign up and is now paying higher premiums because she waited. My understanding for most of us, we need to sign up well before 65 even if we are not going to use it to avoid the penalty. Definitely call the SS office well in advance, as in several months, to get the facts and avoid a penalty.

It has been almost two years but their is a penalty and I think it was if you don’t sign up 90 days before 65 or 6 weeks or something of that nature… which is why I called ahead of time.

As far as my insurance at the time, it was standard BC/BS of Texas. I worked for a city but it was standard insurance and not a government plan.

Yes call ahead. Even though I was not up against the clock since I fell into their having current insurance exemption, I still took care of it with that call. It was way easier than I anticipated.

[Bob G]

Tagged cause each year I get closer…

tending the fire,
Bob G.