More Medicare enrollment woes

[seadoug]

I posted a while back about the difficulty in getting Medicare Part B due to being on my hubby's insurance in 2023. He took me off of his insurance for 2024, at my insistence, so he could save money. He's 8 years younger than I am. I was sure I could enroll in Medicare Part B in 2024.

I have now been trying since November 20. I'll spare all the details but I finally reached someone at Social Security a few weeks ago and she sent me two forms to fill out and fax to my local Social Security office. I filled them both out completely and even had the Human Resources person at my hubby's workplace sign to indicate I was on his insurance program last year.

A few days ago I received a letter from Social Security indicating I hadn't provided proof that I was previously insured when I turned 65 and they would not approved me for Medicare Part B. I'm going to contact the insurance company tomorrow and see if they can send a document that indicates I was insured. I have until March to sort this out. I can't sign up for a Medicare supplement because I still haven't been approved for Medicare Part B. This is the first time in my life I have been without any form of health insurance. I am beyond frustrated with the bureaucracy.

Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I posted a while back about the difficulty in getting Medicare Part B due to being on my hubby's insurance in 2023. He took me off of his insurance for 2024, at my insistence, so he could save money. He's 8 years younger than I am. I was sure I could enroll in Medicare Part B in 2024.

I have now been trying since November 20. I'll spare all the details but I finally reached someone at Social Security a few weeks ago and she sent me two forms to fill out and fax to my local Social Security office. I filled them both out completely and even had the Human Resources person at my hubby's workplace sign to indicate I was on his insurance program last year.

A few days ago I received a letter from Social Security indicating I hadn't provided proof that I was previously insured when I turned 65 and they would not approved me for Medicare Part B. I'm going to contact the insurance company tomorrow and see if they can send a document that indicates I was insured. I have until March to sort this out. I can't sign up for a Medicare supplement because I still haven't been approved for Medicare Part B. This is the first time in my life I have been without any form of health insurance. I am beyond frustrated with the bureaucracy.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Your husband’s employer will be able to do that for you. I didn’t go on part B until I was 67 because my husband was 5 years younger so we were both allowed to stay on my employer retiree insurance until he was 65. Then we got divorced and I went on part b and a supplement. My employer had a standard letter they used.

 

[Lizzie00]

I’m guessing that one of the 2 forms sent to you is CMS-L564. If so, Section B of that form should be completed by your spouse’s employer (not completed by you). The info/dates provided in Section B are what ultimately determines your eligibility for a Medicare Part B Special Enrollment (which is what you’re trying to accomplish).

 

[fuzzybuddy]

You think getting to be 65, Medicare would just kick in. There's all these rules you don't know about. That's when you find out 20 years ago, you should have filled out form SSA-986MA3 and checked box 17D, so now you have to pay extra for the rest of your life. Of course, you had to fill out and send in the form on the 5th day of a month with an "r".

 

[seadoug]

I’m guessing that one of the 2 forms sent to you is CMS-L564. If so, Section B of that form should be completed by your spouse’s employer (not completed by you). The info/dates provided in Section B are what ultimately determines your eligibility for a Medicare Part B Special Enrollment (which is what you’re trying to accomplish).

Yes, that is correct and it was completed by my spouse's employer but still wasn't apparently good enough. You'd think that Social Security would have provided the specific information they needed but instead just sent a letter saying I hadn't provided proof of insurance. I contacted the previous insurance company today. There is a Loss of Insurance Certificate that they will be emailing me to prove I had insurance with them from the time I turned 65 until the end of this year. I'm going to hand-carry it to my local Social Security office, along with the other forms I already faxed to them.