Toni,
I am turning 65 in September…I recently enrolled in Medicare and only part A. My husband is still working and insists that we are still both covered by medical & prescription drugs. He said to wait until he retires to enroll in part B which he anticipates to be next year.
Questions: Is he right? When do I enroll for part D?
I already received my medicare card part A, but I did not receive a “welcome to medicare kit” Should I still request one? Please help. Thanks, Lolita
Hi there…Lolita:
With all of the confusion over what Obamacare is doing, I have noticed more people stressing about whether or not they are enrolling in Medicare correctly.
As long as your husband’s health plan is a true qualified group health plan with creditable prescription drug coverage and not some random discount health plan, then I am pretty sure that both of you can delay your Part B and also Part D until he fully retires and no longer has company benefits.
At that time, I would advise you to have everything for Medicare enrolled such as your Parts A, B and D before he leaves his employment. You can explore your options such as apply for a Medicare supplement or enrolling in a Part C Medicare Advantage plan to help pick up the medical cost of what Medicare does not pay.
Below are a few Medicare rules for enrolling at the right time:
1) Turning 65 and Receiving Your Social Security Check is the easiest way to receive your Medicare card. Medicare will send your “Welcome to Medicare” kit 90 days before you turn 65 with your Medicare card in the kit.
2) Turning 65 and NOT Receiving a Social Security Check because you are still working or may not be working, but waiting past 65 to receive 100% of your Social Security. Contact Social Security 90 days before you turn 65. It takes Social Security 90 days to do the paperwork and if you wait until you have turned 65, then you will only have Medicare Part A benefits and no benefits of what “Part B” covers. Always check with Human Resources if you are delaying “Part B”.
3) Turning 65 and “still working”–such as you, Lolita are experiencing… Talk to your Employers Human Resources and ask if you need to enroll in Part B. If you do not need Part B because you are “still working” or your spouse is “still working” and you maybe on their group plan, then contact Social Security to delay “Part B” and let them know that you have creditable coverage with your group plan. You will receive your Medicare card with “Part A Hospital Only”. Your Medicare number should be your Social Security number with a “T”, if you are not receiving your Social Security check. See page 20 of the 2013 Medicare & You handbook about delaying Part B.
4) Under 65 and Receiving Social Security Disability will receive their Medicare automatically on their 25th month of receiving their disability check. Make sure that you have applied for both Medicare’s Part A and B.
Join Toni at her “Confused about Medicare” workshop on Wednesday, July 24th
5:30 PM at The Abbey at Westminster Plaza, 2865 Westminster Plaza Dr., Houston, TX 77082. The workshop is free and the public is invited. Toni’s new “Confused About Medicare” workshop DVD is now released and available for those who cannot attend a workshop, but need help understanding Medicare, go to www.tonisays.com for more info on DVD.
Toni King, Medicare advocate, consultant and author of Medicare Survival Guide available only at www.tonisays.com and not sold in bookstores. Sign up for the new Medicare Survival newsletter available at www.tonisays.com. For any Medicare questions, contact Toni at
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