My father, in his eighties, has recently moved into what’s called a “memory care” facility. This is a residence for people with varying degrees of dementia or Alzheimer’s, ranging from not bad but might leave the stove on, or forget to pay the bills, to complete loss of verbal ability or sense of identity.
He has Medicare Part A, which covers hospitalization. He does not have Medicare Part B, since his job allowed him to keep his insurance as a retirement benefit. At the time, that seemed like a good idea, since his wife was very (terminally) sick and required expensive treatment, and switching insurers mid-stream might have been difficult and disruptive.
However, the facility where he resides now is completely set up to bill Medicare for doctor’s visits, physical therapy, and pretty much everything over and above the basic cost of living at the facility.
Is it possible to switch my father to Medicare now? I haven’t been able to get a straight answer from his former employer (the United States government, as it happens).
IANAE. However, I believe that one can enroll in Medicare Part B and other Medicare supplemental coverage without penalty as long as one provides proof of other private coverage from the time of Medicare eligibility. Have you tried to contact Social Security Medicare at 800-772 1213?
I have not yet tried to contact Social Security. This has only just come up. I thought the easiest route would be to talk to the benefits people at his former employer (the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York), but they were not helpful.
I will try SSA. I foresee hours spent on the phone.
No, they don’t. They’re not very helpful, really. They do a good job of caring for the residents, but otherwise, they just want their money. You would think that for what they charge (in the neighborhood of $20,000 per month) that (a) everything would be included, and (b) they’d be super-helpful, but no such luck.
They have a doctor who makes rounds, visits the residents. He doesn’t take my father’s insurance (GEHA/Aetna, if it matters). Their suggestion? Take him out to some other doctor. Which really isn’t that workable.