Hi Larry, I am 65 and will reach my Full Retirement age of 66 in early May. My wife and I have saved approx. $1.7 M in our retirement acounts. I have made arrangements to stop my current full time employment at the end of this month. I plan to work per diem two days per week through my own S corporation to lower my income for two years until my wife reaches her Full Retirement age in order to reduce my salary so as to reduce my Medicare premiums after I retire. I will no longer have the Health Care insurance benefit of my current employer.

I am a widow age 61 collecting survivors benefits. Do I qualify for health insurance.

Hi,

My husband of 14 years died in 2000 at the age of 54. I will be 62 in June 2000 (never re-married). As my employer is going out of business soon, I plan on collecting my survivor benefits and working part time since my own social security will grow thru age 70. Will SSA deduct Medicare part B premiums from my survivor benefits @ age 65?

Hi,

I'm sorry for your loss.

Wife is 62 will start her social security I am 74 on social security. Can my wife get part A Medicare free off my social security till she turns 65.

Hi,

No. Your wife would have to be at least age 65 to qualify for Medicare, unless she becomes entitled to Social Security disability benefits before then.

Best, Jerry

My husband passed away in 3/2017 at age 73. We both were getting our SS. He was still working when he died. I got spousal SS after his death. My Medicare part B and D premium keeps on going up every year because of IRMAA based on income 2 years ago. I will get $1 for April and much less SS from May onwards. Same thing happened last year. We both worked longer hours and he worked until 73, we had professional jobs, contributed 13% towards SS taxes. It hurts me to pay very high Part B and Part D premium about $470/pm and get very less SS. I am healthy, mo medical issues.

do i understand right that if i don't have my medicare deducted from my social security when i turn 65, that it will be increased at a different rate then if i do have it deducted. i heard that if the medicare increase is higher than the cost of living for social security, if it is deducted ,the rise would be reduced to match the cola amount. could you explain

Hi,

Hello,

Great article about Sue and her unfortunate Medicare premiums at age 68.

Had she signed up for free part A at age 65 and the same work scenario played out, would she have also faced higher premiums for B and D?

It’s my understanding signing up for part A eliminates these higher premiums for B and D.

Hi,

NO, signing up for premium free part A of Medicare does NOT exempt you from potentially being subject to premium surcharge penalties for parts B & D of Medicare.

i canceled medicare part b and now the owe me a refund and i got letter in aug 2019 saying id get a excess premium refund soon still haven't got it why doe sit take them so long, and when should i get it. social security say all they can do is send messages to payment center there's been 60 message's sent all they tell me working on it.

Hi,

If I have medicare and I am also on with my spouse's medicare ⁹advantage. Is that ok, or should I give up my medicare so as not to pay a premium?

Hi,

Form SSA 131.

I retired in 2019 at age of 70 1/2 and was paid the unused vacation hours. I have been receiving social security and filed for Medicare B. Since the B premium is based on the level of income, I planned on asking Social Security to adjust the unused vacation pay in 2021.

I asked the employer to provide me letter of this extra income. They sent me form SSA 131. Should I file it with SSA? Would it affect my SSA pay?

Hi,