I just signed up for Medicare online via the SS website. During the process I was asked if I wanted to sign up for Part B (I did).
After completing and submitting the form it occurred to me that Part A was never mentioned. Am I correct that it was a given (thus not necessary to state it) that I was enrolling in Part A?
Thanks!
mmm
You are correct. Part A is a given, Part B is apparently optional.
Do they just automatically send a card to arrive before your 65th birthday? Does part A kick in on your 65th birthday?
I don’t remember exactly when they sent me my card, but yes, Medicare starts on your 65th birthday. Everything you want to know about Medicare can be found here.
You still have to sign up for it. It doesn’t automatically happen as far as I know. You sign up for it in advance.
Thanks! My birthday is a month from now, I’ll stop procrastinating tomorrow.
Medicare coverage may not be as good as the health insurance you currently have. Many insurance companies have Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plans (sometimes called Medigap plans) that are relatively cheap and provide additional coverage, such as drug coverage, you may want and/or need. You should start getting direct mail ads on these various plans soon if you haven’t already.
It was pretty painless, took just 15 minutes or so.
@dolphinboy - Yes, thanks for mentioning that. I intend to sign up for a Medicare supplement as I near my 65th birthday (March).
mmm
I’ve been receiving these almost daily now. I’ll have to start opening them.
Do it now, don’t wait. My wife also turns 65 in March. There are over 200 plans out there, it can take some time to find one that fits your needs. Some plans take 2 to 4 weeks to take effect after signing up. The only thing my wife does not have setup yet is the auto pay for Medicare, she needs her Medicare card, she won’t get that till the end of January. Someone said Medicare starts on your birthday, it starts on the first day of your birth month. We learned a whole lot about how this works when I signed up 16 months ago. The only sad part for us is my wife’s $20 a month health insurance ends February 28th. Between the 2 of us, our health coverage will be almost $400 a month.
Isn’t it the case that if you don’t sign up for Part A by some deadline (I think it’s the end of your 65th year) then there is some kind of penalty? Or did my fevered imagination make that up?
My wife’s “IRMAA” (deduction from social security payment) is over $400 per month. Our gap coverage is another $190/month. I’m not complaining, but it’s a lot.
My bad. I stand corrected.
I don’t think I can do it now (?)
From the Medicare website:
That’s part B. Part A you simply sign up for – there are no premiums. Part B you have to pay monthly premiums and if you try to game the system by not starting it until you need expensive drugs you have to pay more per month forever than if you’d started it on time.
OK, after a bit of digging I see that I can enroll now and state the start date of the Medigap plan.
mmm
To clarify a few points (hopefully):
Someone above stated that Medicare Supplement plans, Medigap plans, and Medicare Advantage plans are the same thing. They are not. The first two are plans that pay some or all (verify the coverage) of costs Medicare does not cover. Medicare Advantage (which is Medicare Part C, though it’s rarely called that anymore) is an alternative to “standard” Medicare (Parts A and B). Parts A and B are essentially “old fashion” health insurance that reimburses doctors (Part A) and hospitals (Part B) based on a “usual and customary” fee.
Medicare Advantage plans are designed and operated by insurance companies (after approval of their plan by Medicare) and generally offer additional benefits. They are only available in certain areas (where the insurance company offers them) hence the TV ads for “additional benefits you may be eligible for”. You don’t need the TV guys’ help. Medicare will help you for free. I’m in one operated by United Health Care, which is a large and reputable company. I’m pleased with my coverage.
It is correct that Medicare is generally effective the first of the month in which you turn 65. One exception: If you are still actively employed when you turn 65 you are not eligible until you retire.
There is no penalty for “late” enrollment based on continued employment; there is a penalty for volitional late enrollment (I don’t remember the exact formula, but it increases the longer you wait).
Yes, it can be confusing. I hope this is helpful.
For even more help I refer all to what I consider the most helpful thread in the history of the SDMB:
The main takeaway from that thread: Get a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) unless you absolutely cannot afford the monthly premiums (or if you live in Florida or California). If you cannot swing a supplement plan, go with Medicare Advantage (but really, find a way to afford Medigap). But for the love of Pete, don’t sit tight with just Part A and Part B.
mmm
Correction:
If you are covered by a qualified health plan (most employer plans are), you can delay your part B enrollment until you lose that coverage.
Medicare eligibility has nothing to do with employment.
I have a health insurance company as a client; last year, I did a bunch of interviews with people on Medicare, as part of a research project. One of my respondents was a woman whose husband had passed away the year before, due to pancreatic cancer. As she said it, “Medicare covering 80% of your bills sounds great, until you get a five- or six-figure medical bill.”
No penalty if your employment has health insurance.