Medicare enrollment

[dp1969]

I just submitted my application for federal disability, will I be automatically enrolled in Medicare part a and part B? Also I have company benefits through August, when can I or should I enrolled in Medicare part D?
Any help is appreciated.
Dan

 

[Felica]

Depends on your age. I am 46 I got my disability and Medicare A & B but want be eligible for D until I am like 50 or 55. Something like that I did. Enroll in a supplement to cover prescriptions

 

[Susan10]

I just got my determination letter right before Christmas. My Medicare card came automatiocally about a week later - parts A & B. I';m checking now with a couple of experts b/c they said there would be a 5 mo waiting period and I think it's sup[posed to be 3. Am also looking at supplements and part D.

 

[tmasters]

Yes, you will be automatically enrolled in Parts A & B. You can opt-out of part B but in your case not advisable unless you can and want to continue your company benefits. You're medicare won't take effect for 5 or 6 months, just about the time your company benefits end. You'll be getting a letter from SS giving you an exact date.

If you decide to stay on straight Medicare you will need a part D coverage. If you want to go with a Medicare Advantage plan which is an HMO provided by many companies including Aetna, Blue Shield, etc, your prescriptions are usually covered by the HMO, so you don't need to pay for Part D. Most of the HMOs require no additional premium beyond the straight Medicare premium.

Some people don't like the restrictiveness of an HMO and I can understand that. But it works for me and is less costly than straight Medicare because I don't pay 20% of my doctor visits.

Another option is Medicare with a supplemental. But if you're under age 65 this is going to be expensive. For me, at age 55 it was approx $330/mo extra on top of Medicare premium for a Plan F type of coverage (full coverage). At that rate, it's better to keep your company plan and go on Cobra.

Hope this helps.

-Tom

 

[Ms. Pie]

Thanks for asking this question DP and thanks for the answers everyone else!

 

[BrianD]

Yes, you will automatically get A and B going into effect at the same time as your SS benefits, 5 months from the day you became disabled ie stopped work. You should call your benefits department to clarify which insurance will be primary versus secondary. Also ask them for a document stating your work insurance Rx plan is creditable coverage for Medicare. If it is you can wait for D until August. If not you might need to get it now. I have never heard of an age requirement for D for disability, but I haven't need to look into that yet personally. You can call our Colorado agency to ask questions as well and get a list of companies that offer D and Advantage plans and Medigap.
Senior Health Assistance

Good to see you around Dan!

Brian

 

[dp1969]

Great information. Thank you to all who posted.
Dan

 

[ltbeauti]

I just went with part a&b and a medicare advantage plan that pays for many meds. My medicare advantage plan is $30 a month. It depends on how many meds you are on.

I would get a copy of Medicare & you for your state. Medicare has a book made up for each state outlining the plans for their area.

 

[Dancer]

Hello All-I have COBRA coverage Empirebc/bs, and a good scrip plan. Is there any reason I should not accept Medicare part B as well?

 

[sadiemae]

Take the part B. And sign up for a free advantage plan that provides scripts. Cobra won't last forever, and you can only enroll in Medicare plans once a year. I believe you need to enroll within the first 3 months of going on disability, and after that it is only once a year. And if you do not enroll in a script plan, if you later decide to, you will have to pay a penalty each month unless you can prove you had coverage for the entire time you have been on Medicare. There are a lot of free plans.

 

[tmasters]

Well, one reason is that Medicare isn't free. You can opt out of Medicare part B and sign up at any time later on, but make sure you are covered at least one plan at all times.

It turns out I would have better off signing up for COBRA and opting out of Medicare because I had a really good insurance plan at my work and I would have saved lots on premiums and copays. Everyone should make a decision based on their own particular circumstances.

-Tom