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To Those Who Qualify: 3 Medicare Mistakes to Avoid During the Coronavirus Pandemic
DTA ^
| 08/15/2020
| by Maurie Backman
Posted on 08/16/2020 9:23:36 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way a lot of people live — and not necessarily for the better. All of this upheaval could cause you to make some very poor choices with regard to your healthcare, and that’s a good way to lose money and compromise your health at a time when you can’t afford to. With that in mind, here are three Medicare mistakes to avoid at all costs during the ongoing crisis.
1. Not signing up on time
Health coverage under Medicare begins at age 65, and you can enroll up to three months prior to the month of your 65th birthday.
You can also enroll up to three months after that month and get retroactive coverage dating back to when you turn 65.
Either way, it pays to sign up for Medicare on time for a couple of reasons.
First, the sooner you enroll, the sooner you’ll avoid a coverage gap during a pandemic — enough said.
Secondly, if you wait too long to enroll, Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient services, could end up costing you more.
Specifically, you’ll face a 10% surcharge on your premiums for each year-long period you were eligible to enroll but didn’t.
Another thing: Don’t use the fact that Social Security offices are closed to delay your Medicare enrollment. It’s easy enough to sign up for Medicare online, and you can do so without signing up for Social Security.
2. Not seeing your doctor to manage existing conditions
Many people are putting off physicals during the COVID-19 crisis to avoid added exposure to germs, but if you have an existing condition your doctor has expressly told you to follow up on, then it pays to listen. If you neglect your health, you could make an existing health problem even worse, which could, in turn, not only compromise your physical wellbeing, but put you in a position where you’re forced to spend more money than necessary on medical care. Furthermore, Medicare already had a telehealth network in place prior to the pandemic, and you can still use it to access professional care from the comfort of home.
3. Not using your health savings account to pay your medical costs
You may have heard that health savings accounts (HSAs) and Medicare don’t mix. But while it’s true that you can’t contribute to an HSA once you’re enrolled in Medicare, you can use your existing account to cover expenses like Medicare deductibles and copays. If money is tight right now, it pays to tap your HSA before you start racking up debt for medical bills.
The more you know about Medicare, the more likely you are to make the most of your benefits under it. Whether you’re new to Medicare, on the cusp of signing up, or a seasoned enrollee, it pays to learn more about what the program entails. That way, you’ll avoid costly mistakes that are terrible to make in regular times, but even more detrimental at a time when the entire county is operating in crisis mode.
TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: coronavirus; healthcare; hsa; medicare; nlz; pandemic
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To: SeekAndFind
Secondly, if you wait too long to enroll, Medicare Part B, which covers outpatient services, could end up costing you more. Specifically, youll face a 10% surcharge on your premiums for each year-long period you were eligible to enroll but didnt.
This hit my mom. She retired from an insurance company, but neglected to sign up for Medicare B for a few years. She claimed that no one told her she had to sign up but it was to no avail. Since she died at 99, the surcharge ended up being quite a lot of money.
2
posted on
08/16/2020 9:31:10 AM PDT
by
hanamizu
To: SeekAndFind
How do you pay your Medicare premiums if you’re not on Social Security?
Just curious.
3
posted on
08/16/2020 9:33:28 AM PDT
by
mewzilla
(Break out the mustard seeds.)
To: mewzilla
Medicare sends a bill quarterly, via small mail, in advance. My sister is not taking SS yet as she’s still working, but just turned 65. She got that bill in the mail a couple of weeks before her 65th birthday.
To: SeekAndFind
Is there a link to sign up
for Medicare?
I should have signed up
A few months back.
5
posted on
08/16/2020 10:00:38 AM PDT
by
Big Red Badger
(TRUMP vs Biden-----------Any Question?)
To: mewzilla
Out of pocket, is typical.
Currently, Medicare Premium rate of increase each year, is outpaced by the "growth rate" (roughly/supposedly 8% per year) of SS payments - by NOT YET taking SS.
Kamala Harris's point of view, will force --- despite the words of leftist legislation buttressed by judicial-super-"legislating" --- everybody on to Social Security.
From that, the left will deduct KamalaCare, and retirees will thereafter receive somewhere between approx. 55% to 70% of whatever they would presently receive in monthly deposits to their personal bank accounts.
Expect increased taxes to "pay for" The New Social Security; while SS payments will probably be customized to match recipients' [leftist and racial] political purity profiles.
Many people are careless about their participation at Facebook, Google, Twitter - who report to the left, political profiles of such social media customers. Thus, an easy thing for The Swamp to match "your Social Security Benefits" to your social media profiles.
People want convenience, and they are reluctant to shun social media; in addition to which, with every increase by state imposition, more and more people will be desparate to take what money they can get.
Nevermind the increasing rates, of descending quality and performance of services.
6
posted on
08/16/2020 10:03:20 AM PDT
by
linMcHlp
To: Big Red Badger
7
posted on
08/16/2020 10:06:05 AM PDT
by
linMcHlp
To: Big Red Badger
If you are 65+ and still working, and have group health insurance through your employer, then you don’t have to sign up until you are no longer employed or covered by the group health plan.
8
posted on
08/16/2020 10:08:38 AM PDT
by
Lakewood
To: mewzilla
Credit card or check.
I just wrote my first one.
9
posted on
08/16/2020 10:41:47 AM PDT
by
Kozak
(DIVERSITY+PROXIMITY=CONFLICT)
To: Big Red Badger
Found the site,,,
My finance team said
Don’t bother to
Sign up,,,
Typical BS
10
posted on
08/16/2020 10:42:00 AM PDT
by
Big Red Badger
(TRUMP vs Biden-----------Any Question?)
To: Big Red Badger
https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/
from link:
If you are within three months of age 65 or older and not ready to start your monthly Social Security benefits yet, you can use our online retirement application to sign up just for Medicare and wait to apply for your retirement or spouses benefits later. It takes less than 10 minutes, and there are no forms to sign and usually no documentation is required.
Apply for Medicare Only
11
posted on
08/16/2020 10:46:45 AM PDT
by
GOPJ
(If YOU live in a looted burned out America hellhole, YOU have a democrat mayor.)
To: hanamizu
That hit me, as well. Prior to turning 65 I was contacted by any number of insurance companies who wanted to sell me Medicare supplemental coverage, that is part C,D,E,F,G,H. The one I eventually settled with, he and I spent 45 minutes on the phone discussing all the parameters and I eventually settled upon part G. In all that time I never got the single sentence warning “oh by the way you have to go down to the Social Security office and sign up for parts A and B”. As a result, I signed up late, and had no coverage from January 19 to July of 2020. All because one douchebag could not say one sentence of warning, “make sure you do this”. As a result, my cost for Medicare Part B Rises 10%, forever. I would punch this guy in the face if I saw him today.
This is the problem with insurance, in general. You have no choice but to rely upon the person you are buying the product from for information about the product. And I have learned through many, many examples, that that is one of the worst possible positions to be in. I never, ever allow myself to rely solely upon the person trying to sell me something as a source of information. It is a near suicidal position you place yourself in. That is among my top 10 life lessons.
To: Attention Surplus Disorder
My mom worked for an insurance companyshe worked for a marine surveyor, but when she retired, the company’s retirement ‘counselor’ was out. So no one ever told her that she had to do the Medicare thing. She based her appeal on that, but as I said, to no avail. I don’t know how many years penalty she accrued, but it was more than one.
13
posted on
08/16/2020 11:34:12 AM PDT
by
hanamizu
To: Lakewood
That’s what I’ve
Heard,thanks.
.
I just Dread retirement
But soon I will,
Thanks.
14
posted on
08/16/2020 11:44:12 AM PDT
by
Big Red Badger
(TRUMP vs Biden-----------Any Question?)
To: SeekAndFind
Thank you Seek for this post.
As I am 63 I love learning all I can about such.
15
posted on
08/16/2020 12:19:10 PM PDT
by
NoLibZone
(It's 2020 & the DNC runs a candidate whose family owned over 200 slaves. When did the parties flip?)
To: Big Red Badger
Thats what Ive
Heard,thanks.
.
I just Dread retirement
But soon I will,
Thanks.
Don’t dread it. It is great.. Every day is a weekend!
16
posted on
08/16/2020 12:42:44 PM PDT
by
tallyhoe
To: Big Red Badger
I turn 65 in October. I’ll be working at least another three years...probably four. I’ll sign up for Medicare then.
17
posted on
08/16/2020 1:22:23 PM PDT
by
Lakewood
To: Lakewood
If you are 65+ and still working, and have group health insurance through your employer, then you dont have to sign up until you are no longer employed or covered by the group health plan. Not true.
If your company has less then 20 people on it's plan you need to sign up. Medicare is full of "ifs, buts and in that cases" designed to trip you up especially if you are a small business person.
18
posted on
08/16/2020 1:33:24 PM PDT
by
Harmless Teddy Bear
(And lead us not into hysteria, but deliver us from the handwashers. Amen!)
To: Lakewood
As you say-—
You will sign up When
You retire in a couple
Years-—
Correct?
19
posted on
08/16/2020 2:11:14 PM PDT
by
Big Red Badger
(TRUMP vs Biden-----------Any Question?)
To: Harmless Teddy Bear; Lakewood
It’s Scary,
I work for A Large Contractor, many Thousands
Of Employees with good
Group Insurance and you’d
Think they’d help guide
You thru this stuff.
The Wuhan Flu ain’t helping
20
posted on
08/16/2020 2:17:30 PM PDT
by
Big Red Badger
(TRUMP vs Biden-----------Any Question?)
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