I know some of this has been covered, but I'm trying to nail down some nuances.
DH turns 65 in January - so he qualifies to start Medicare in Jan. We have an appointment with a friend who does insurance to go through our options later this month, but I've been researching online. Let me know if I've got it right... He's already claiming SS.
Part A is automatic?
Part B will be automatic and deducted from his SS unless he signs up for a Medicare Advantage (HMO type) plan - which effectively replaces Medicare B?
Part D covers drugs and needs to be signed up for... Is there a penalty for not signing up for it if his only prescription is a generic statin?
Medicare Part F aka Medigap aka Medicare supplemental covers the deductibles etc not covered by Medicare A and B. If you don't sign up for it when you first enroll you could be charged a much higher rate later if they even agree to cover you?
Community rating appears to be a rare unicorn in our zipcode... Only AARP/United Healthcare seems to be priced that way... All the other part F plans seem to be age rated. Correct me if I'm wrong - but age rated plans could potentially increase in price significantly as you age?....
Since he'll be new to medicare - hold harmless won't apply to him for part B for 2017... He'll pay the $149 (or whatever it ends up being)...? Not the $121 that people who enrolled in 2016 will pay, or the $104 that people enrolled before 2016 might pay? (IRMAA does not apply to our household.)
Any way I look at it - all the parts premiums added together will still be less than our HDHP premiums which puts most of the costs on us and really only buys us negotiated rates.
DH turns 65 in January - so he qualifies to start Medicare in Jan. We have an appointment with a friend who does insurance to go through our options later this month, but I've been researching online. Let me know if I've got it right... He's already claiming SS.
Part A is automatic?
Part B will be automatic and deducted from his SS unless he signs up for a Medicare Advantage (HMO type) plan - which effectively replaces Medicare B?
Part D covers drugs and needs to be signed up for... Is there a penalty for not signing up for it if his only prescription is a generic statin?
Medicare Part F aka Medigap aka Medicare supplemental covers the deductibles etc not covered by Medicare A and B. If you don't sign up for it when you first enroll you could be charged a much higher rate later if they even agree to cover you?
Community rating appears to be a rare unicorn in our zipcode... Only AARP/United Healthcare seems to be priced that way... All the other part F plans seem to be age rated. Correct me if I'm wrong - but age rated plans could potentially increase in price significantly as you age?....
Since he'll be new to medicare - hold harmless won't apply to him for part B for 2017... He'll pay the $149 (or whatever it ends up being)...? Not the $121 that people who enrolled in 2016 will pay, or the $104 that people enrolled before 2016 might pay? (IRMAA does not apply to our household.)
Any way I look at it - all the parts premiums added together will still be less than our HDHP premiums which puts most of the costs on us and really only buys us negotiated rates.