Who Do I Talk To About Medicare

How Do I Contact Medicare By Phone

When you want to talk to a real person about Medicare, call the Medicare phone number: . TTY users can call . You can call this hotline seven days a week, 24 hours a day. Knowledgeable customer service staff will answer all your Medicare-related questions and help you make sense of your coverage options.

Does Medicare Ever Contact You By Phone

Whenever you give out personal information on the phone, its a good idea to make sure the person on the other end is who they say they are. If you get a call from anyone asking for your Medicare number or additional personal or health information, hang up! Then call the Medicare number to report the incident and make sure your account is secure.

Medicare will only call you in a couple of circumstances:

• Youre in a Medicare plan, and you get a call from the plan provider or the insurance agent who helped you enroll.
• You left a message and number when you called Medicare, and a Medicare representative calls you back.

What extra benefits and savings do you qualify for?

Do I Need To Renew Medicare Every Year

Original Medicare coverage is automatically renewable each year you are eligible. Thus, you do not need to renew your Medicare parts each year.

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Medicare Supplement plans work the same way, once you are accepted, the plan is automatically renewable as long as you continue to pay the monthly premium.

Medicare Advantage plans work similarly. However, you have the option to change your plan each year if you do not like the benefits of your current plan.

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Do I Need To Enroll In Medicare If I Work Past 65

While it is not mandatory, it is recommended to enroll in Medicare Part A coverage as soon as you become eligible if you qualify for premium-free Part A coverage. However, if you delay Medicare Part A, you will be able to enroll later during the General Enrollment Period or a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify. But, if you dealy enrollment to the General Enrollment period, you will be required to pay late enrollment penalties.

If your employer offers , you do not need to enroll in Medicare Part B if you are working past age 65. Creditable coverage is healthcare coverage that provides at least equal benefits to Original Medicare. If you do not have creditable coverage and you do not enroll in Medicare Part B when you first become eligible, you could be required to pay the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty as long as you are enrolled in Medicare Part B.

Keep in mind, even if you have creditable coverage, it is important to compare your current plan to Original Medicare with a Medigap plan and Part D. Often, combining these Medicare plans will provide you with the most comprehensive coverage possible.

The Problem: You Really Cant Touch This Topic No Matter How Hard You Try

If you cant bring up the subject, youre not alone: 38% of parents never broach the topic, according to Fidelity. And TIAA research found that 1 in 5 parents are completely content to never discuss the issue. But not talking wont prevent stress now .

The fix: Go to a third party. I think some people need that, and its not a bad thing to do, Peck says. There are people who can help you facilitate that conversation, from a financial adviser to a therapist. You have to feel that its someone who has your best interest and someone you have confidence in, she says. Just say, I want to talk to my kids about my finances and Im having trouble. Can you help me? Most people who work in the financial world are comfortable doing that if you ask.

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How Do I Know If I Should Be Dual Eligible

Beneficiaries can find out if theyre eligible for Medicaid by contacting their Medicaid office. An Internet search for Medicaid offices in a beneficiarys state should provide the number to call but beneficiaries should make sure they are contacting a government office before sharing any personal information.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also maintains a list of state agencies that oversee Medicaid. Beneficiaries can see if they already have Medicaid by contacting 1-800-MEDICARE and asking whether they receive Extra Help with their prescription drug costs .

Do You Have To Pay Back Provider Of Medicaid

You may haveto payMedicaidback if: Bills were paid when you were not eligible for Medicaid. If you are age 55 or older, the state may recover what has been paid in medical services from your estate after you pass away. Recovery can only be made if at the time of death, youhave no surviving spouse, no child under the age of 21, or no child

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Does Your Medicare Card Expire

Your Medicare plan automatically renews each year, and so does your Medicare card. Youll get an Original Medicare card in the mail when you first enroll. And youll receive a Medicare Advantage plan card or a Part D card when you first enroll. As long as youre enrolled in Medicare and pay your monthly premiums, these Medicare cards do not expire.

Your Medicare card will expire if your Medicare plan ends. This can happen if you no longer live in the coverage area or the insurance provider stops offering this plan.

Changing plans? Your old Medicare card will expire when the plan ends, and youll get a new card for your new plan.

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Can You Have Medicare And Medicaid

The short answer is yes. If you receive coverage from both Medicaid and Medicare, youre a dually eligible beneficiary. If you are dual eligible, you may be enrolled in Medicare and then qualify for Medicaid, or enroll first in Medicaid but later qualify for Medicare. Medicaid assists seniors with limited income and people with disabilities also enrolled in Medicare.

How does dual eligibility work?

Dual-eligible beneficiaries can have:

• Medicare Part AMedicare Part A, also called hospital insurance, covers the care you receive while admitted to the hospital, skilled nursing facility or other inpatient services. Medicare Part A is part of Original Medicare.
• Medicare Part BMedicare Part B is the portion of Medicare that covers your medical expenses. Sometimes called medical insurance, Part B helps pay for the Medicare-approved services you receive.
• Both Part A and Part B
• Full Medicaid benefits
• State Medicare Savings Programs

Medicare benefits always pay first, and Medicaid benefits assist with costs not fully covered by Medicare.

Medicaid will pay premiums and out-of-pocket expenses for dual-eligible Medicare beneficiaries. Medicare and Medicaid work together to cover costs, including long-term services. If you do not have full Medicaid benefits, Medicare Savings Programs may help cover some of those costs:

Are you eligible for cost-saving Medicare subsidies?

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How To Make Premium Payments

Your Part B Medicare premiums are billed directly through Medicare, while your Part C premiums are billed through the private insurance company associated with your Medicare Advantage plan. Heres how you pay Medicare and your private insurance company.

• Premium Payments to Medicare: If you receive Social Security, Office of Personnel Management, or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, Medicare will automatically deduct your Part B premiums from your benefits check. If you dont receive these benefits, you will receive a bill called Notice of Medicare Premium Payment Due. You can then pay by mailing a check, using online banking services, or signing up for Medicares bill pay, which will automatically draft the premium from your bank account each month.
• Part C Premium Payments to Private Insurance Companies: If your insurance company charges a premium for your Medicare Part C plan, you can set your payments to come from your Social Security benefits. But this is not an automatic action. You must submit a request to Social Security, and they have to approve your request before your Part C premium payments will be deducted. If you dont get Social Security, you can mail in a check or have your premium automatically drafted from your bank account.

Does Medicare Automatically Send You A Card

Once youâre signed up for Medicare, weâll mail you your Medicare card in your welcome packet. You can also log into your secure Medicare account to print your official Medicare card. I didnât get my Medicare card in the mail. View the Medicare card if you get benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board.

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Penalties If You Dont Enroll

If you fail to sign up for Part B when youre supposed to, youll face a 10 percent penalty for each year that you should have been enrolled. The amount gets tacked on to your monthly premium.

While Part D prescription coverage is optional, the penalty for not enrolling when you were first eligible is 1 percent for every month that you could have been signed up unless you have qualifying coverage through an employers plan.

We advise people even if they dont take medicine right now, at least sign up for the cheapest drug plan just so you dont face a penalty, Roberts said. And if something bad happens, youre making sure you arent caught with no coverage.

• Do I have to sign up for Medicare if I have private insurance?

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Planning for retirement includes obtaining appropriate and affordable healthcare coverage. In that respect, for Americans 65 and older, any conversation about healthcare must include Medicare. Eligibility at age 65 means that health insurance becomes more affordable.

Is There Anyone I Can Talk To About My Specific Medicare Eligibility Needs

Yes. You can make an appointment with a Social Security representative at your local office by calling 1-800-772-1213. You can also call Medicare directly at 1-800-633-4227.

Finally, your State Health Insurance Assistance Program provides free counseling and education to help you choose coverage. You can go online to www.shiptalk.org to find a counselor in your area.

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How Does The Social Security Office Help With Medicare

Social Security enrolls you in Medicare Parts A and B . Medicare provides your healthcare coverage, but the SSA needs to determine your eligibility for Medicare and whether or not youve paid Medicare taxes long enough to get part A for free.

If you are already receiving Social Security retirement benefits at least three months before you are eligible for Medicare, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare. If you decide to keep Part B, Social Security will deduct the monthly Part B premium from your Social Security monthly payment. If you defer Part B enrollment, you can apply for it later through Social Security. If you dont qualify for premium-free Part A and have to buy it, you can apply through Social Security. Medicare will bill you for Part A monthly premiums.

In addition to Medicare enrollment and monthly deductions from your retirement benefits for Part B premiums, Social Security also helps with Medicare by providing you with ways to:

• Apply for Extra Help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs
• Request a replacement Medicare card
• Report the death of a Medicare beneficiary
• Check Medicare eligibility
• Report a change of address or phone number if you already get Medicare
• Appeal an income-related monthly adjustment amount decision

Have your extra Part D premiums deducted from your Social Security retirement benefit payment.

Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment

This one-time change takes place between Jan. 1 to March 31. You must already be enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan on Jan. 1. During this time, you can switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan with or without drug coverage, or return to Original Medicare and enroll in Part D. You can’t switch from one prescription drug plan to another. There’s no guaranteed issue right for Medigap.

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What Is The Texas Health Information Counseling And Advocacy Program

If you are eligible for Medicare, the Texas’ Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program can help you enroll, find information and provide counseling about your options. This partnership between the Texas Health and Human Services system, Texas Legal Services Center and the Area Agencies on Aging trains and oversees certified benefits counselors across the state.

Delaying Enrollment Could Result In A Permanent Penalty

As described above, you cant reject premium-free Medicare Part A without also giving up your Social Security benefits. But since your work history is allowing you access to Medicare Part A without any premiums, few people consider rejecting Part A coverage.

The other parts of Medicare, however, do involve premiums that you have to pay in order to keep the coverage in force. That includes Medicare Part B and Part D , as well as supplemental Medigap plans. Medicare Part C, otherwise known as Medicare Advantage, wraps all of the coverage into one plan and includes premiums for Part B as well as the Medicare Advantage plan itself.

So its understandable that some Medicare-eligible people, who are healthy and not using much in the way of medical services, might not want to enroll in Part D and/or Part B. Similarly, people who are eligible for Part A but with premiums might want to avoid enrolling in order to save money on premiums. But before deciding to postpone enrollment in any part of Medicare, its important to understand the penalties and the enrollment limitations that will apply if you decide to enroll in the future.

There are penalties associated with delaying your Medicare enrollment unless the reason youre delaying is that you are still working and youre covered by the employers health plan. If thats the case, youll be eligible for a special enrollment period to sign up for Medicare when you eventually retire.

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Where Do You Go To Apply For Medicare

You apply for Medicare through the U.S. Social Security Administration. You can do this online, by telephone or at your local Social Security office.

The Social Security Administration can only enroll you in Original Medicare Medicare Part A and Part B. Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage and Medigap plans are sold through private insurers.

But the Social Security Administration can help with other services through the Medicare benefits section on its website.

Medicare Services Available Through the Social Security Administration

• Apply for Medicare Part A
• Apply for Medicare Part B
• Request a replacement Medicare card if yours is lost or stolen
• Update address, phone number or other personal information

When Should I Call Medicare

The Medicare helpline is available any time of day or night. The 24-hour hotline makes it easy to get in touch with a person on the other end. Wait times will vary, so if youre on hold for a while, you may want to hang up and call back later.

Are you eligible for cost-saving Medicare subsidies?

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How To Get Medicare Private Enrollment Advice

Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program can help, as can a broker who specializes in Medigap plans you can also contact the carriers in your area that offer Medigap plans and ask them about their underwriting guidelines. You can click on a state on this map to see details about state-based regulations and requirements for Medigap plans. You can also get Medicare private enrollment advice from a licensed agent at 1-844-309-3504.

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Practicing Patience With Medicare Clients

When talking to seniors, and really any client, itâs very important to never talk down to them or be condescending in any way. A lot of the information you share with your clients will probably be brand new to them, and for many, this could be their first time buying a Medicare plan. You may have to go over the same information more than once, but you shouldnât let this frustrate you. Try to remember their knowledge wonât be up to par with yours and you should always practice patience.

You can ask your client every so often if they need further clarification. If and when they do, try to explain what you were talking about in a different way than you did the first time. If theyâre having trouble following you, repeating the exact same explanation may not get you anywhere. Think outside the box â use analogies and examples when possible.

These suggestions may take practice and it might be hard at first to not clench your teeth in frustration. The best way you can combat impatience is to empathize with your client and put yourself in their position. Treat them the way youâd want to be treated if you were trying to purchase a health care plan.