Good Morning, Toni:
I am a 58 year old female who qualified for Social Security Disability this February because I have MS which keeps me from working. I am waiting for Medicare to begin and because of that I did not enroll in Obamacare. I think I made a mistake because the enrollment has ended and I have not received my Medicare card.
Can you please advise me what I should do? I’ve been unemployed for 2 years and my COBRA has ended. I have no other health insurance to use. Thanks, Phyllis
Phyllis:
I do not know who advised you that your Medicare was beginning before Obamacare enrollment ended on March 31st, but that person gave you the wrong information. You should have enrolled in an Affordable Care Act also known as Obamacare health insurance plan.
You have 2 years or a 24 month wait to begin your Medicare and you should begin receiving Medicare automatically on your 25th month of receiving your Social Security Disability. Make sure that you have applied for both Medicare Part A and Part B at least 3 months prior to the 25th month. Phyllis…your Medicare should begin on March 1, 2016.
Most people apply for Medicare when they are completing their Social Security Disability applications you should receive your “Welcome to Medicare” kit by your 25th month of receiving your Social Security Disability. When you receive your “Welcome to Medicare” kit then your Medicare card should be included in your kit. If your Medicare card is not in the kit, then call Social Security at 1/800-772-1213 and make sure your Medicare card has been ordered.
One good thing that the ACA (Obamacare) does do is help those that have a serious health condition that has keep many from receiving individual health plans because there are no pre-existing conditions for any health insurance since January 1st of this year. People who could not qualify for a health plan can now enroll in any health plan they want. Now you will have to wait until the next Obamacare enrollment period and your new health plan will begin January 1st, 2015.
Yes, Phyllis…you will have to pay a fee or a nice way to say penalty. The 2014 penalty for not enrolling in an ACA plan or having minimum health coverage is 1% of your annual income or $95 per person or whichever is higher. The fee for uninsured children is $47.50 each, with a maximum of $285 per family.
The ACA penalty or fee changes each year and only goes up. I would advise anyone who did not enroll this year to do so when the ACA open enrollment begins this fall 2014.
Healthcare.gov will accept applications outside of the normal enrollment period for people who experience certain “qualifying life events” like getting married, having a child or losing a job that provided insurance. I do not believe that leaving your job over 18 months ago because of a disability and losing COBRA coverage instead of recently losing your job with benefits does not qualify you for a “qualifying life event”.
On your 25th month when your Medicare begins is when your Medicare Parts A and B should start. At that time you can apply for a Medicare Supplement with a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan with Medicare Part D included or just enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan only with Medicare.
Contact Social Security to ask questions about enrolling in Medicare. Sometime a well meaning friend gives the wrong information. And in today’s enrollment periods for the ACA and Medicare, it is best to get these enrollments done right. No one ever wants a penalty if they can keep from getting one. No matter how big or small the penalty is…A penalty is a penalty!!
Toni King, author of the new Medicare Survival Guide®, which is a simple guide that puts Medicare in people terms, is on sales at www.tonisays.com. Schedule a “Confused about Medicare workshop by email at www.tonisays.com/ask-tonior call 832/519-TONI (8664)
