Gotadimple
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Messages
- 2,615
To reply to several statements.
OP. I thought Medicare is free - Part A the hospital part is free. The room and board is free. Most every thing else is not. That is why there is a Part B and Part D, and Medigap, and Part C (Medicare Advantage).
OP. So I can drop Part B. You now have a link. Should you decide that while you live in the United States, you might like to see a physician for an illness that doesn't require hospitalization, you have to be able to pay them. That's Part B and Medigap.
You have already signed up, but what isn't clear is if you re-sign up whether or not the 10% premium penalty applies. That is a 10% premium increase for each 12 month period where you did not pay a premium. If the premium is $135 today and you enroll 24 months after your eligibility, then, I'll let you do the math.
OP. Part D. There is a penalty for delaying enrollment. There is a donut hole which over time will get smaller (assuming nothing else is changed by Congress). This is a big 0 in the middle of the period of time when the are paying for your drugs. Some people never hit the donut hole, and some Part C carriers cover the donut hole so there is no period when you are without drug coverage. It is not a scam, it is the way Congress set up the plan.
Like Part B, it is optional, and like Part B if you never will need drugs then you can go bare. However, the United States is one of the most expensive countries to live in if you need prescription drugs to manage your health.
Gayl. Check with your insurance agent or Human Resources department about what happens when you turn 65. Some group insurance plans provide no coverage over age 65 as Medicare is available. If your plan is an ACA plan, contact the carrier to determine if there is coverage for you after you are Medicare eligible and what/how they provide coverage in another plan.
Many BlueCross/BlueShield plans provide international insurance for Medicare Advantage members. Read carefully: it is Part A coverage only - and only for emergencies. The same is usually true for individual policies and group policies. They are not intended to provide health coverage while you live full-time in another country. At that point, you have the left the service area and are no longer eligible to be part of an individual or group medical plan.
Medicare does not provide coverage outside the United States. If you will be living permanently outside the U.S. you will probably need to find coverage in your new home country.
OP. I thought Medicare is free - Part A the hospital part is free. The room and board is free. Most every thing else is not. That is why there is a Part B and Part D, and Medigap, and Part C (Medicare Advantage).
OP. So I can drop Part B. You now have a link. Should you decide that while you live in the United States, you might like to see a physician for an illness that doesn't require hospitalization, you have to be able to pay them. That's Part B and Medigap.
You have already signed up, but what isn't clear is if you re-sign up whether or not the 10% premium penalty applies. That is a 10% premium increase for each 12 month period where you did not pay a premium. If the premium is $135 today and you enroll 24 months after your eligibility, then, I'll let you do the math.
OP. Part D. There is a penalty for delaying enrollment. There is a donut hole which over time will get smaller (assuming nothing else is changed by Congress). This is a big 0 in the middle of the period of time when the are paying for your drugs. Some people never hit the donut hole, and some Part C carriers cover the donut hole so there is no period when you are without drug coverage. It is not a scam, it is the way Congress set up the plan.
Like Part B, it is optional, and like Part B if you never will need drugs then you can go bare. However, the United States is one of the most expensive countries to live in if you need prescription drugs to manage your health.
Gayl. Check with your insurance agent or Human Resources department about what happens when you turn 65. Some group insurance plans provide no coverage over age 65 as Medicare is available. If your plan is an ACA plan, contact the carrier to determine if there is coverage for you after you are Medicare eligible and what/how they provide coverage in another plan.
Many BlueCross/BlueShield plans provide international insurance for Medicare Advantage members. Read carefully: it is Part A coverage only - and only for emergencies. The same is usually true for individual policies and group policies. They are not intended to provide health coverage while you live full-time in another country. At that point, you have the left the service area and are no longer eligible to be part of an individual or group medical plan.
Medicare does not provide coverage outside the United States. If you will be living permanently outside the U.S. you will probably need to find coverage in your new home country.
OK my recent ACA application she processed was so easy I could not believe it. I literally did nothing but spend 20 minutes on the phone with her, she did EVERYTHING Else. Next thing I know I get an email with all the info. She said Medicare was easier. I will see.
There are MA plans with $0 additional premium AFTER the Part B premium. A few MA plans in certain markets refund a portion of the Part B premium, but the member still paid Part B. The only ways to avoid the Part B premium are to not enroll in Part B or be eligible for low income 'extra help' programs that pay the Part B premium for you.
