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I Enrolled in Medicare at Age 65

April 13, 2016 by Bob Vineyard

Last year (2015) I enrolled in Medicare at age 65. But this is not about me, this is about you. Now that you are ready to retire you are told you can’t get the Medicare supplement plan you want.

What’s up with that?

The lady at the Social Security office told you to sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B on your 65th birthday which was 8 months ago. You will retire in two months and want Medicare supplement plan G. But you are told only way to can get plan G is to answer health questions.

You thought Obamacare required insurance companies to take anyone, regardless of their health. Well, you are wrong.

I can understand your confusion. Let’s take a look at how and when to sign up for Medicare when you are approaching age 65.

Enroll in Medicare at Age 65

You should sign up for Medicare Part A 60 – 90 days before you turn 65. For most people, there is no premium for Part A as long as you (or your spouse).

You paid into the Medicare system all your working life. Now it is ………… “free”.

You may not need Medicare Part B if you are covered by an employer group health insurance plan. In many cases your group plan is the primary payer while Medicare is secondary.

But if you work for a small employer, less than 20 employees, Medicare may be primary and your group plan a (very expensive) secondary payer. In that case you should go ahead and enroll in Part B.

Don’t just assume you need part B. Make sure before enrolling or delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B.

Shop and compare GA Medigap quotes. Instant rates. Side by side comparisons.

Your information is never sold.

Medicare Open Enrollment

For those who want the assurance of original Medicare and the ability to continue to use your current doctor(s), you need to understand your Medicare open enrollment rights.

According to Medicare, the best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your 6-month Medigap open enrollment period. You can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state, even if you have health problems. This period automatically starts the month you’re 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). After this enrollment period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy unless you can satisfy medical underwriting requirements.

Medigap insurance companies are generally allowed to use medical underwriting to decide if the want to accept your application. However, if you apply during your Medigap open enrollment period, you can buy any Medigap policy the company sells, even if you have health problems, for the same price as people with good health.

There is no annual open enrollment for Medicare supplement insurance. You can swap plans at any time, but you must answer health questions.

Your only chance to buy a Medigap plan may be when you enroll in Medicare Part B.

If you have group health coverage through an employer or union because either you or your spouse is currently working, you may want to delay enrolling in Part B. Employer plans often provide coverage similar to Medigap, so you don’t need a Medigap policy.

If you delayed Medicare Part B, when your employer coverage ends, you’ll have a chance to enroll in Part B without a late enrollment penalty. Your Medigap open enrollment period will start when you need it. If you enrolled in Part B while you still had the employer coverage, your Medigap open enrollment period would start (and possibly end) unless you bought a Medigap policy before you needed it.

COBRA and Medicare do not play well together. Medicare does not consider COBRA to be creditable coverage. When COBRA ends you are not entitled to an SEP (Special Enrollment Period). You will have to wait until the next GEP (General Enrollment Period) and pay a lifetime late enrollment penalty.

If you apply for Medigap coverage after your open enrollment period, there’s no guarantee that an insurance company will sell you a Medigap policy if you don’t meet the medical underwriting requirements.

Don’t miss your chance to get the best Medigap rate or run the risk of being denied. Enroll in Medicare at age 65. Understand your Medicare Part B options.

Shop and compare GA Medigap rates.

#EnrollMedicareAge65 #MedigapOpenEnrollment #MedigapPlanG

Filed Under: Medicare Tagged With: 65, age 65, COBRA, enroll, enroll in medicare, ga medigap rates, medicare age 65, Medicare late enrollment penalty, sign up for Medicare, turning 65

Get Medicare When Turning 65

April 11, 2016 by Bob Vineyard

Do I automatically get Medicare when turning 65? How do I enroll in Medicare? When should I sign up for Medicare? Do I need Medicare if I am covered by a group health insurance plan? How much does Medicare cost?

Medicare is not automatic at age 65
Enroll in Medicare in 10 minutes or less
Sign up for Medicare Part A at least 90 days in advance of your 65th birthday
You may not need Part B if covered by employer group health plan
Medicare supplement plans (Medigap) is priced according to your age, gender, tobacco use and zip code

Shop and compare GA Medigap plans. With more than 170 different Medicare supplement plans in Georgia, how do you find the one that is right for you?

Compare plans side by side plus receive a FREE report showing all Medigap plans and rates in your area. Valid email address required.

How Do I Get Medicare at Age 65?

Most people assume Medicare is automatic when they turn 65. If you are receiving Social Security benefits you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare when you turn 65. Everyone else will have to apply.

Many people will receive Medicare Part A at no charge. If you (or your spouse) have at least 40 quarters of substantial wages in the Social Security system by the time you reach age 65 you have prepaid your Part A premiums.

If you refuse Part A you may be denied a Social Security benefit. Deferred enrollment in Medicare Part A is possible if covered by a group health plan. Otherwise late enrollment penalties may apply.

Medicare Part B is optional and carries a monthly premium.

You do not have to be employed in order to get Medicare at age 65. Some who have never worked in the Social Security system can still qualify based on the earnings record of their spouse. The same applies to widows and divorcees of a working spouse.

How Do I Get Medicare?

Signing up for Medicare is easy. I signed up in May, 2015 ahead of my September, 2015 65th birthday. You can do the same by following this link to Social Security and selecting the appropriate option.

You can track the status of your application at MySSA.gov.

Track your earnings record, review estimated Social Security benefit amount, see when your next benefit will be deposited and more.

Once you enroll in Medicare you will receive your welcome letter about a week later followed by your Medicare card in another few weeks.

Covered by a Group Health Insurance Plan?

If you are covered under a group health plan as an active employee or spouse of an active employee you may only need Medicare Part A. If you or your spouse work for a large employer (defined as 20 or more employees) your group plan may be primary and Medicare a secondary payer. In that case you may only need Medicare Part B.

Most plan participants with a smaller employer will find that Medicare is the primary payer. In that case you need Part B. Your group health plan will be a secondary payer.

In that situation it may be to your advantage to drop the group health plan and pick up a Medicare supplement plan and Part D drug plan. Ask us for details and pricing.

You can also generate your own quote using this link.

How Much Does Medicare Cost?

Georgia Medigap plans are priced according to your age, gender, tobacco use and zip code. Many plans are priced under $100 per month and offer much richer benefits than you have experienced with your current health insurance plan.

Medicare supplement plans are standardized (all plans with same letter are identical) making it relatively easy to compare plans and rates. More than 40 different F plan rates and 30 different G plans may seem confusing.

Buying on low initial price alone may come back to haunt you later. Some carriers have a history of showcasing a low initial buy-in rate only to raise rates substantially later. One well known mutual carrier has raised rates 11 times since 2012.

Let us help you find the plan that best suits your needs and budget.

Shop and compare. Free comprehensive Medigap report provided with valid email.

#GetMedicareAge65 #Turning65 #HowMuchDoesMedicareCost #GeorgiaMedicareSupplementRates #WhenEnrollMedicare

Filed Under: Age 65 initial enrollment Medicare, Medicare Tagged With: 65, age 65, medicare age 65, turning 65, turning age 65

Medicare Supplement Plan F Illegal

April 28, 2015 by Bob Vineyard

A new law signed by President Obama will make the popular Medicare supplement plan F illegal. Reforming SGR (the Sustainable Growth Rate), commonly referred to as “doc fix” has been a goal of Congress for years. The new law, passed on a bi-partisan vote and signed by the President saves millions of dollars for Medicare but also will outlaw Medigap plan F.

J.B in Dallas, Georgia bought Medicare supplement plan F for $115 per month.

How much can you save?

Shop and compare GA Medigap quotes. Your information is NEVER sold.

Georgia Medigap plans & Prices

Medicare supplement plan F

The most popular plan among Georgia seniors is Medigap plan F. This is especially true for retirees turning age 65. Most GA retirees lose their regular health insurance plan at age 65 and want to leave behind all the copay’s, deductibles and coinsurance.

So they buy Medicare supplement plan F. Your plan F pays 100% of approved Medicare Part A and Part B expenses. What could be more simple?

We think there are better values than F and do our best to educate clients on ways to get the most VALUE for their dollar.

With more than 170 different Medigap plans in Georgia, how do you find the right one?

It’s almost impossible to do that by yourself. Most sites on the internet are data harvesting sites that will take your information and sell it to dozens of agents. The more sites you visit, the more phone calls you will get from brokers trying to sell you anything and everything.

Even the sites (like GA Medigap Quotes) that offer instant rates only have 20 or so plans to pick from. Most carriers do not allow their rates to be illustrated online so the only way to get information on all plans is to talk with a broker specializing in Medicare.

Bob Vineyard has more than 40 years in the health insurance business and focuses his practice 100% on the Medicare market. Bob is a baby boomer, going on Medicare in September, 2015. He can identify with your concerns and will take the time to explain all your options.

New law bans Medigap plan F

Congress wants to “save” Medicare and they will do so by making US PAY MORE.

Higher premiums.

Higher deductibles.

And BANNING Medicare supplement plan F.

President Obama recently signed the most significant Medicare legislation in years–a plan to fix a Medicare formula that threatened to slash payments to doctors every year. The law achieves several positive Medicare reforms, but it will increase some costs for enrollees.
But the plan comes with a significant price tag. It will increase federal deficit spending by $141 billion from 2015-25, and it calls for savings to the government by boosting premiums for high-income seniors ($34.7 billion in savings) and by prohibiting Medigap from covering the Part B deductible for new enrollees beginning in 2020 ($400 million in savings). The plan also will mean somewhat higher Part B premiums spread across the entire base of seniors. – MorningStar

Starting in 2020 the government will no longer allow plan F to be sold.

Presumably, if you have plan F now you will be “grandfathered” in and be allowed to keep it. That’s good news for those who have F now or will be purchasing when they turn age 65.

Why does the government want to tell you what kind of plan you can and cannot have if it is YOUR money?

The goal is to give seniors more “skin in the game,” which conservatives have long argued would lower costs by making patients think twice about using medical services if they know they must pay something for all services they use.
The idea is to encourage enrollees to utilize less health care by eliminating first-dollar coverage. Research confirms that higher out-of-pocket expense will result in people using fewer services, but that’s not always a good thing. A 2011 study by National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) found that beneficiaries may avoid necessary services that worsen their health in the long run, increasing the need for more intensive care and driving up Medicare costs. The NAIC report also found that once patients do seek care, it is doctors and other health-care providers who drive up utilization, not patients.

Apparently the folks in DC think we LIKE going to the doctor. If they penalize us by making us pay MORE to see a doctor this will save Medicare.

But what does it do to us? Will we become sicker as a group when we can’t afford to go to the doctor because Washington wants to do what they think is best?

Stop overpaying!

Are you currently paying too much for your Medicare supplement plan? Most people are, by an average of $500 per year. That is money that could be in YOUR pocket instead of going to the insurance carrier.

Check out our Medigap rates with an instant quote.