Medicare

I received my first Medicare pre,ium bill, and was surprised to find that the amount due is based on a quarterly payment schedule.
Can I instead pay monthly?

Hi,

Probably not. Part B Medicare premiums are billed on a quarterly basis if they can't be withheld from a person's benefits, although if a person is also paying premiums for Part A of Medicare then they're billed monthly. If and when you start drawing Social Security benefits, your Part B premiums will then be deducted on a monthly basis.

Best, Jerry

Hi- My spouse is 37 years older than I- he is 73. He is on medicare and gets a check from Social Security every month. Will i be able to claim Medicare through his record when i reach retirement age, even in the event that he passes way before i reach retirement age? Also will i get a certain portion of his Social Sec check at retirement age? I have been reading rules but wasnt sure i was interpreting them correctly. We are trying to plan so this will be helpful to know. thank you.

Hi,

I have received Widows benefits since I turned 60. I am turning 65 in December. Do I have to sign up on Medicare or can I still receive Widows benefits. Thank you so much. Mary

Hi Mary,

No, since you are already drawing widow's benefits you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare starting with the first day of the month you reach age 65. You should receive a Medicare card with instructions in the mail about 2 to 3 months before the month you reach age 65.

Best, Jerry

Hello Larry. Medicare made a determination that I had to pay my own Medicare Parts A and B, and later Medicare admitted that they made a mistake and I was eligible for free Part A and the normal rate for Part B. Will Medicare reimburse me for the payments I made before they admitted their mistake? Thank you.

Hi,

Yes, if Medicare overcharged you for premiums they should refund any excess premiums that you paid. However, without knowing the details of your case I can't be sure that you are due a refund.

Best, Jerry

I think that so far I have overpaid my 2019 Medicare Premiums by approximately $ 1400. I was confused because last year my payments went up due to IRMAA.
I have not been receiving bills and cannot access concrete payment information for my account online.
What should I do?

Hi,

I am 70 and am self-employed and am drawing social security benefits from my account. My wife was born in 1951 and is still working (at a community college employer which has over 20 employees). She plans to retire in January 2020 at which point she will switch to a medical plan through the educational retirement board. She has been working continuously since she was in high school. She recently learned that she could draw a benefit equal to 1/2 of my benefit.

I will not be eligible for free Medicare A because I only have 36 Medicare credits. You say I can qualify on my husbands record. He retired from gov job so no social security but he does have Medicare A (free) and Medicare B. Can I still use his record?

Hi,

Can a man who filed for divorce be forced by Medicare to provide health insurance for his wife on social security disability?

Hi,

I'm not sure if I understand your question. A person can't be forced to provide Medicare for an ex-spouse, but they also can't prevent an ex-spouse from qualifying for Medicare if the ex-spouse meets the requirements.

I reached 65 but plan to work a few more years. I have a company health insurance. I want to keep paying into my HSA can I do this if I sign up for medicare and suspend it?

Hi,

No, and you can't voluntarily suspend Medicare coverage anyway. However, as long as you or your spouse is an active employee and you're enrolled in an employer group health plan that covers at least 20 employees, you could instead delay enrolling in Medicare without penalty for as long as your work and coverage continues.

Best, Jerry

Larry,

I’m in what is likely to be an increasing category of folks. People who start their Medicare coverage long before they start their Social Security. Under this scenario I have been paying my Medicare premiums directly every three months.

I have not seen any discussion anywhere of my pending problem which, as I indicated, must be occurring more often now.