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Applying for
Medicare
Learn as much as you can and
ask plenty of questions
By Jamie Lober, Staff Writer
The best time to sign up for
Medicare is three months before you
turn 65 years old, even if you are not
prepared to begin receiving retirement benefits. Medicare is managed
by the Centers for Medicare and
Medicaid Services, and Social Security
works with them to enroll people in
Medicare.
There are two parts to Medicare.
Part A is hospital insurance and Part
B is medical insurance. It is acceptable
if you decide to wait on Part B and
just enroll in Part A, but be aware this
choice may cause your coverage to be
delayed, and you may receive a higher
premium for each month you were
eligible.
One way to get perks is to wait for
the special enrollment period. This
means if you have medical insurance
coverage under a group health plan
that is either your own or related to
your spouse’s employment, you may
not need to apply for Medicare Part B
at age 65. Instead, you can qualify for
the special enrollment period. This
allows you to sign up for Part B during
the eight-month period that begins the
month after your group health plan
coverage or the employment it is based
on ends or any month you remain
covered under the group health plan
and you or your spouse’s employment
continues.
The two primary ways to get
Medicare coverage are Original
Medicare or a Medicare Advantage
Plan such as an HMO or a PPO. It is a
good idea to find out if you can continue with your employer coverage after
you retire. Sometimes benefits change
or coverage is canceled, so be sure to
ask. Other times the coverage may pay
your out-of-pocket costs only after they
reach a maximum amount.
When you first sign on to Medicare,
be sure your family members can
access your personal health information by filling out an authorization
form. Scheduling a preventive visit
with your physician during the first
year can also be beneficial and help
you get a better picture of your general
health. At www.MyMedicare.gov, you
can sign up to access your personal
health information 24 hours a day.
This is a wonderful way to track your
health care claims, order a replacement
Medicare card, view your eligibility
information, track your preventive
services, check your Medicare Part B
deductible status and more.
Remember, everyone’s coverage is
not the same, so do not rely on your
friends or neighbors for information
about what you may be entitled to.
You should be able to get a list of tests,
services and items that are covered for
you. You can even get paperless statements if you choose.
The key to applying for Medicare
is gathering as much information as
possible so you can make an informed
decision. You want to find out if you
are eligible automatically and what
your coverage choices may be. You will
want to take a look at the initial enrollment questionnaire and discover how
Medicare works with other insurance.
The State Health Insurance Assistance
Program can help you make a choice
that best meets your needs based on
your personal situation. You may also
want to take the time to compare doctors and hospitals that are covered
by your plan. When you ask the right
questions and do your homework,
you will likely find that applying for
Medicare is not as hard as you might
have been told.
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