SS question

[ripper1]

Hi all. I am within 3 months of going on medicare. I went to my login and started the process for applying medicare only. As I started to fill out application as was directed to stop and call the SS office. I was told that I could not do an application online if I was going on my wife's benefit for medicare. So I was given a date in late November for a phone call to sign up. Seems odd that I have to wait this long as it will be cutting the time close to when I actually am eligible to go on medicare. Does this sound right?

[fh2000]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ripper1 Hi all. I am within 3 months of going on medicare. I went to my login and started the process for applying medicare only. As I started to fill out application as was directed to stop and call the SS office. I was told that I could not do an application online if I was going on my wife's benefit for medicare. So I was given a date in late November for a phone call to sign up. Seems odd that I have to wait this long as it will be cutting the time close to when I actually am eligible to go on medicare. Does this sound right?

You can try to call their helpline: 1 (800) 772-1213 and ask them. Their new hours to answer phones begin at 8:00AM. When I called last week, it was just a 15 minute wait. So, not too bad.

[Perryinva]

I was not aware that Medicare eligibility was tied to whose benefits you would be or are filing under, as long as you had enough credits to qualify for SS. After all, I will be filing for Medicare at 65, and like millions of others, will not be collecting SS until FRA or later, so how could this be true? Do you not have enough SS credits of your own?It does not sound right to me, either.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perryinva I was not aware that Medicare eligibility was tied to whose benefits you would be or are filing under, as long as you had enough credits to qualify for SS. After all, I will be filing for Medicare at 65, and like millions of others, will not be collecting SS until FRA or later, so how could this be true? Do you not have enough SS credits of your own?It does not sound right to me, either.

I don’t think it is tied to SS. I received my Medicare card a couple of months ago, aged 65 and no plans to apply for SS until age 70. I didn’t apply online though, telephone interview through the Federal Benefits Unit at the US Embassy in London.

[Telly]

I think there IS a path there, though some clarification by ripper1 would be helpful.

SS is the gatekeeper of Medicare benefit signup.
If ripper1 did not have at least 40 quarters in on SS, AND had not paid in at least 40 quarters of the 1.45% payroll Medicare Tax, he would be ineligible for FREE Part A (he could still buy it, $$$$$!).

However, if his Spouse has qualified for SS eligibility (or maybe she paid in at least 40 quarters of Medicare payroll tax?), he can qualify through her for his free Part A. As SSA is the gatekeeper, they probably want to verify that she indeed has the proper credits at this time for him to get Free Part A through her record(s). It will be his own Medicare account, just using his spouse for eligibility.

An example for this is a farmer who paid into SS, his wife never worked in a SS-applicable job nor a non-SS-applicable job that had payroll deduction for the Medicare Tax. Without this option, she would be SOL for health care with respect to Medicare, unless she came up with big $$$ every month for the pay-for Part A premium. With Part A, she would then qualify for Part B..

[ripper1]

Yep, I just talked to the social security office where I will be getting a phone call to sign up for medicare in late november. It can't be done online if you are going to get ss on your spouse's record. You can't go in to a ss office because of covid so they are doing phone interviews only. I've already signed up for my supplement from mutual of omaha through the assistance of boomer benefits. Looking forward to getting out of obamacare that were charging me as a single almost 800 a month. Estimating around 300 a month for Part A, B, D, and supplement.