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Medicare Supplement premiums are unique for each beneficiary. Yours will definitely not be the same as your neighbor down the street. In today's video, we're going to explain the factors that determine your monthly premium.
Hi, I'm Lindsay Engle, and I'm the Medicare expert for Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com. If you're like many Medicare beneficiaries, your first go-to to find Medigap quotes is online. You found a website, filled out a form, answered a few questions...only to find out that you actually can't get quotes without speaking to an agent.
You end up frustrated, wondering, "WHY CAN'T I SEE MY QUOTES ONLINE!?!?" Several factors impact your Medigap rates, and these are questions that you can't answer online. This is why you have to speak to a Medicare agent.
Now, we're going to go over which factors will determine your Medigap premium. Before we jump into these different factors, it's important to understand that all Medigap plans are standardized by the government. What this means is that each letter plan has a set of benefits that will stay the exact same regardless of the carrier with which you choose to enroll. The only difference will be the premium you pay.
(1) Your location: What you might pay in one state for the same benefits could be completely different than what you might pay in a different state.
(2) Your gender: Your gender could be a determining factor depending on the state where you live. Because females are mostly overall healthier than males, in some states they will find that they pay around $10-30 less in monthly premiums.
(3) Your age: If you enroll when you're first eligible at 65, you're going to pay less in monthly premiums than you would if you enroll at 75. Additionally, depending on the state where you live, if you're eligible for Medicare due to collecting Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) for 24 months, you can pay up to 3-4 times more in monthly premiums than those who age in at 65.
(4) Tobacco use: For those who smoke, chew, or use vaping products, you can expect to pay up to 10% more in monthly premiums. This is because those who use tobacco tend to have more medical conditions.
(5) Household discounts: Some carriers offer discounts to those who live in the same household, as long as they enroll in a plan with the same carrier.
(6) How you pay: Some carriers will charge you more if you choose to pay quarterly, semi-annually, or annually. Also, because it's more cost-effective for the carrier to process your payment electronically versus by check or credit card, some carriers will discount your premiums if you choose to pay electronically.
(7) The letter plan in which you choose to enroll: As expected when you want more benefits, you will pay a higher monthly premium.
(8) Rating method the carrier uses to determine your supplement policy premiums: There are three rating methods a carrier can use to set the rates for their Medigap policies: community, issue age, and attained age. Attained age rated is the most common model used by carriers today.
(9) Rate increase history of the carrier: You want to make sure they have at least an A or better financial rating and have been in the market for at least five years.
(10) The time you enroll: The best time to enroll is during your Open Enrollment Period.
(11) Some carriers offer a 12-month rate lock: Even if your effective date isn't for a few months, you want to enroll now to prevent any rate increases between now and your effective date.
Hopefully, this video helped you understand why it's impossible for us to give you accurate quotes without speaking to you over the phone to collect more information! Our agents will be able to compare any plan with any carrier that is available in your area to get you the most accurate quote based on your personal information.
MedicareFAQ: https://w
There are many different enrollment periods for Medicare. Today, we will discuss one of the most important ones: the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period, which comes around every fall.
My name is Lindsay Engle, and I'm the Medicare Expert for Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com.
The Medicare Annual Enrollment Period is commonly referred to as the Annual Election Period or the Medicare Open Enrollment Period. It occurs annually, in the fall, between October 15th and December 7th.
This enrollment period is for beneficiaries who are already enrolled in Medicare to make changes to their coverage. This means that you must either be enrolled in Part A and Part B of Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage Plan, or a stand-alone prescription drug plan under Part D.
If you're enrolled in Medicare Advantage, you can change from one carrier to another carrier or switch back to Original Medicare. When you switch back to Original Medicare, you can then choose to enroll in Medigap and Part D plans if you wish to do so.
If you're currently enrolled in Part D, you can choose to switch from one plan to another or drop your coverage altogether. You can also enroll in a Part D plan at this time if you only have Original Medicare without any prescription drug coverage.
A first key point to remember is if you're not already enrolled in Medicare, this is not the enrollment period for you. If you're looking to enroll in Part A and Part B for the first time and you're outside your Initial Enrollment Period, you'll have to wait until the General Enrollment Period, which runs annually between January 1st and March 31st.
Another key point to remember is that if you're choosing to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan at this time, you'll still have to answer health questions and go through medical underwriting. The only way around this is if your Medicare Open Enrollment Period is also happening during the Annual Enrollment Period or, due to a specific circumstance, you qualify for a Special Election Period.
The Annual Enrollment Period does not give you guaranteed issue rights. You can enroll in a Medigap plan at any time of the year. The only thing to remember is if you are outside of your Open Enrollment Period, which is the first six months after your Part B effective date, you will have to answer health questions. Any coverage changes you make during the Annual Enrollment Period will become effective January 1st of the following year.
Each September, your Medicare Advantage carrier or Part D carrier will send you a plan annual notice of change that will give you a brief summary of all your benefits.
Your notice of change will explain any plan coverage changes that will become effective the following year. You will want to pay attention to your premium. If you feel that the premium is increasing more than expected, it may be time to shop around for new plans.
If you have Medicare Advantage, you should also pay attention to the doctor's network. Make sure your doctor is still within your plan's network.
Another important thing to check is your Part D drug formulary to ensure your current prescriptions will still be covered.
Annual Enrollment Period: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-annual-enrollment-period/
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-supplement-open-enrollment/
General Enrollment Period: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-general-enrollment-period/
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-advantage-open-enrollment-period/
Initial Enrollment Period: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-initial-enrollment-period/
Special Enrollment Period: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-special-enrollment-periods/
Annual Notice of Change: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-annual-no
You become eligible for Medicare, which is a federal health program, when you turn 65 years old. You're also eligible if you've been collecting Social Security Disability Income for 24 months or diagnosed with End-Stage Renal Disease. There are two main parts to Original Medicare. This includes Part A and Part B. Part A is your hospital coverage and Part B is your doctor and medical coverage.
When it comes to signing up for Medicare. Some are automatically enrolled in others will need to actively enroll. If you've been collecting Social Security benefits for at least 4 months, you'll be automatically enrolled into both Parts A and Part B. Your effective date will be the first day of the month you turn 65 years old. If your birthday happens to fall on the 1st of the month then your effective date will be the 1st of the month before your birthday. For example, if your birthday falls on July 1st, then your effective date will be June 1st.
You'll receive your Medicare card around 3 months before your birthday. If you're not collecting Social Security benefits, then you'll need to actively enroll into Part A and Part B. You'll want to enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period. Your Initial Enrollment window will be 7 months and starts 3 months before your birthday, will last the month of your birthday and will end 3 months after your birthday.
There are three ways you can enroll in Medicare. The 1st way is going down to your local Social Security Office. The 2nd way is to go ahead and give the Social Security office a call to enroll. The 3rd way and probably the most easy way is to do it online.
To begin the online application process you'll need to visit Social Security's web site. That's ssa.gov/benefits/Medicare. Then you'll scroll to the bottom of the page until you see the big blue button that says apply for Medicare only. If you recently have started an application and did not complete it, you can return to your saved application here also. It will bring you to the next page that talks a little bit about the online application and an option to start a new application. So go ahead and select start a new application. And then it will ask you if you're applying for yourself or someone who's not with you. So select applying for myself. Then it will ask if you have a My Social Security account. If you do not have one you will need to create one. If you do have one it will then ask you to sign in. So let's assume that I currently do not have a My Social Security account. You will need to have an address that's within the United States and US Territories to create the account. So select yes and hit next. At this point it will bring you to secure.ssa.gov to create an account. At this point it's going to ask you a few personal questions. The form will take about 15 to 20 minutes to fill out. If you would like you can save it and complete it later.
You will receive a letter from Social Security Administration once they made a decision about your enrollment.
Now, if you only have Part A and you delayed enrolling into Medicare Part B there are two additional forms that you'll need to complete to enroll in Part B.
So if you already have Part A and you're only enrolling in Part B, then you'll need to also complete 40B form. Which is application for enrollment in Part B. Once you complete this form, you'll want to include it in your online application or mail into the Social Security office. Now, if you delayed Part B due to having group employer coverage, you'll also need to complete the L564 form. Which is request for employment information.
MedicareFAQ: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/applying-for-medicare/
Social Security Website: https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/
40B Form: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS40B-E.pdf
L564 Form: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS-L564E.pdf
Hi there. I'm Lindsay Engle and I'm the Medicare expert for Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com. And today's topic, we're going to talk all about Medicare Supplement Plan F.
Medicare Supplement Plan F, also known as Medigap Plan F, has been the number one choice among many Medicare beneficiaries do to leaving you with zero out-of-pocket cost. Medigap Plan F is considered a first-dollar coverage plan. This Is because outside of your monthly premium it will pay for any cost sharing that you may be responsible for after Medicare pays their portion.
Now the benefits may be very attractive to beneficiaries, however, with more benefits comes higher monthly premiums. Good news is if you find the monthly premiums for Plan F to be a little too high for your monthly budget, you do have some alternative options. The two alternative options you have are the high deductible version of Plan F as well as Plan G.
All Medigap plans are standardized by the government. This means that regardless of the letter plan you choose the benefits will be the same across all carriers. That's why it's important to work with the license agent. That way they can compare the same letter plan across all carriers to find you the lowest premium.
Now before you start comparing premiums for Plan F across all the carriers in your area. It's important to note if you're eligible to begin with. If you became medicare-eligible before 2020, then you are eligible to enroll in any first-dollar coverage plan. That includes planet F High Deductible Plan F and Plan C. However, if you were not eligible for Medicare until after 2020, you will not be eligible to enroll in Plan F. The best alternative would be Plan G.
Thank you so much for watching today. I hope you found this video on Plan F helpful. Until next time. Bye.
Plan F: https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-f/
High Deductible Plan F: https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-f-high-deductible/
Plan G: https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-g/
High Deductible Plan G: https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-g-high-deductible/
All Medigap Plans: https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/\
Like what you see? Join our Facebook group! It's a group dedicated to helping people become educated on Medicare. Whether you're a current Medicare beneficiary, taking care of a loved one on Medicare, or will be aging into Medicare shortly, this is your Medicare resource center.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MedicareFAQ/
Before we go into the details on High Deductible Plan F. It's important to know your eligibility. If you are not eligible for Medicare until after 2020, you are not eligible to enroll in Plan F. If you are eligible for Medicare before 2020, then you are eligible to enroll in Plan F. If you aren't eligible for Medicare until after 2020 and you're looking for a high deductible plan, then High Deductible Plan G is the best option for you.
High Deductible Plan F is a good alternative for those who are interested in the standard Plan F, but the higher premium is a little bit out of their budget. With High Deductible Plan F, you get all the same benefits, leaving you with zero out-of-pocket costs outside your monthly premium. The only other out-of-pocket costs you'll be responsible for is the high deductible.
Now it's important to remember, that just because there's a high deductible that does not mean you're going to be paying 100% of your medical expenses out-of-pocket before coverage begins. All this means is that any coinsurance you pay will be applied towards the high deductible. Once you've met that deductible then your benefits will kick in 100%. Giving you the same benefits as standard Plan F. Therefore, if you're not able to afford the monthly premiums for the standard Plan F, the high deductible version of Plan F would be a great alternative for you.
While some beneficiaries may find that High Deductible Plan F when you add all the out-of-pocket cost together including the premium and deductible, is less than the standard Plan F. Others may find that the standard Plan F is actually cheaper in out-of-pocket total cost with premiums compared to the high deductible version of Plan F. That's why it's important to speak to an agent to help you compare rates in different areas on all different plans.
High Deductible Plan F - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-f-high-deductible/
High Deductible Plan G - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-g-high-deductible/
Elimination of First-Dollar Coverage Plans - https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-changes-2020/
Like what you see? Join our Facebook group! It's a group dedicated to helping people become educated on Medicare. Whether you're a current Medicare beneficiary, taking care of a loved one on Medicare, or will be aging into Medicare shortly, this is your Medicare resource center.
Our Facebook Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/MedicareFAQ/
High Deductible Plan G is a newer plan that was recently introduced in 2020. It's a great alternative for those who find the benefits on the standard Plan G attractive but are looking to pay a little bit less in monthly premiums. High Deductible Plan G has the same exact benefits as a standard Plan G. The only difference is that you must meet the plan's annual deductible before your benefits will kick in at 100%. Keep in mind that it does not mean that you're going to have to pay the full deductible before any of your benefits kick in. All that means is that any cost-sharing that you pay-out-of pocket once it adds up to that deductible, then your benefits will kick in at 100%. This high deductible is what keeps the monthly premium significantly lower when you compare it to the standard Plan G premiums.
So as long as you're comfortable with paying the high deductible out-of-pocket before coverage kicks in, then you'll end up saving quite a bit of money over the year in monthly premiums. For beneficiaries who don't want to have to worry about paying that high deductible out-of-pocket and are comfortable with paying higher monthly premiums than the standard Plan G is the right option for you.
The last thing to note is that if you are using your guaranteed-issue right to enroll in a high deductible plan, then you have to consider what year you became eligible for Medicare. If you were not eligible for Medicare until after 2020, then you can use guaranteed-issue right to enroll in High Deductible Plan G. However if you are eligible for Medicare prior to 2020 and you're using your guaranteed-issue rights, then you will not be eligible to use them with High Deductible Plan G. You'll be eligible to use them with High Deductible Plan F.
If you have any questions, make sure to post them in the comments section below.
High- Deductible Plan G - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-g-high-deductible/
High- Deductible Plan F - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-f-high-deductible/
Standard Plan G - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-g/
Standard Plan F - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-f/
All Medigap Plans - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/
Like what you see? Join our Facebook group! It's a group dedicated to helping people become educated on Medicare. Whether you're a current Medicare beneficiary, taking care of a loved one on Medicare, or will be aging into Medicare shortly, this is your Medicare resource center.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MedicareFAQ/
https://www.medicarefaq.com/original-medicare/medicare-parts/medicare-part-c/
A Medicare Advantage plan is also known as Medicare Part C, it's offered by private insurance carriers and it's an alternative to a Medicare Supplement. Generally, Medicare Advantage plans are good for people who are healthy, because they don't have as many doctor visits and co-pays for specialists and it's also beneficial for someone who can't afford a Medigap policy because, in reality, some insurance is better than no insurance. These plans, you must have your Part A and B active in order to qualify to enroll. There is one health question, do you have end-stage renal disease. Now, if you do have end-stage renal disease, the standard Medicare Advantage plans won't be available. However, in some areas, there's what's called a Special Needs Plan.
Your Medicare Advantage plan will have a card for you, so when you go to your doctor, you will show your Medicare Advantage card instead of your Medicare card. This is because that private insurance carrier is now gonna handle your claims. Some of these plans include routine dental, vision, hearing and even gym memberships. It's important to remember that some of those services are only routine. So if you need dentures, fillings, root canals, you may want to purchase a separate, standalone policy.
Now, also with Medicare Advantage plans, you will have a one year trial right through your Guaranteed Issue, meaning that you will have 12 months to have your Medicare Advantage plan and within that time, you can either choose to stick with it or switch to a Medigap policy instead. You will also be protected if your Medicare Advantage plan leaves your service area through Guaranteed Issue, and you'll be able to switch at that point as well.
Well, the biggest pro that none of us can ignore is the zero dollar premium. And I know some of the plans do just have a lower premium, I've seen them between $20, all the way up to $100 bucks, depending on where you live. The downside to having a low premium is that you end up with higher out of pocket costs. The way you gotta look at it is either you're gonna pay for it upfront or you're gonna pay for it later.
Another thing to think about is when you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you have a more restricted network. As were with the Medigap policy, you can go anywhere where Medicare is accepted. That's not the case for Medicare advantage plans. Additionally, in most cases, referrals are needed to see specialists. So you will have to go to your primary care doctor, pay that copay to then go to the specialist and pay that copay. So all are very important things to think about when you're planning your year ahead. And if you throw in a hospital visit, a lot of them are $100 to $300 a day for the first 4 to 6 days.
One pro is that your Medicare Advantage premium can be deducted right from your social security, so it is one less bill you have to worry about manually paying. Another pro is there's national emergency coverage, so if you travel frequently and you have an emergency situation, you do have coverage with your Medicare Advantage plan, however, if you leave the country and have an emergency, you pay for that out of your own pocket.
So as you can see, there are a lot of pros to Medicare Advantage plans and there are a lot of cons that you would have to factor in. If you're someone who's confident with your health, who doesn't really frequent the doctors often, this might be a great plan for you.
Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplements: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-advantage-vs-medicare-supplement/
Best Medicare Advantage Plans for 2020: https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/best-medicare-advantage-plans/
Join our Facebook group! It's a group dedicated to helping people become educated on Medicare. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MedicareFAQ/
Hi everyone. I'm Lindsay Engle and I'm with Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com. Thank you so much for joining us. And in today's video, we're going to discuss and compare the differences between Medigap Plan F versus Plan G versus Plan N. But before we start comparing the plans, we need to address some important changes that have impacted all Medicare beneficiaries that were newly eligible as of 2020. The year that you became eligible for Medicare is what will determine which plans you are eligible to enroll in. So if you are eligible for Medicare before 2020, you can enroll at any of the top three plans being Plan F Plan G or Plan N. If you were not eligible for Medicare until this year or after 2020, you will not be eligible to enroll in Plan F. Your options will be Plan G and Plan N.
Plan F is considered a first-dollar coverage plan because it will leave beneficiaries with zero out-of-pocket costs outside of their monthly premium. With Plan F you'll have no cost-sharing. This includes deductibles, coinsurance, and co-pays.
Plan G has been the runner-up plan to Plan F due to it covering almost all of the same benefits. The only Benefit Plan G does not cover is the Part B deductible. The Part B deductible is $198. What this means is you'll have coverage for all of your out-of-pocket expenses, including co-pays coinsurance and deductibles. Once you've met that Part B deductible of $198, the only out-of-pocket costs will be what your monthly premium for Plan G.
Plan N has quickly become one of the most popular choices that our clients choose to enroll in. Plan N is considered a cost-sharing plan. This is because when you visit the doctor's office or the emergency room, you will have a small copay to pay. These co-pays are what keeps your monthly premium low. When you go to the doctor's office, you'll have a $20 copay. If you end up in the emergency room, you'll have a $50 copay. In addition to the co-pays, you’ll be responsible for the Part B deductible of $198 as well as any excess charges. However, most beneficiaries don't need to be concerned with excess charges. Some states do not even allow them and most doctors won't charge you with excess charges. Quick tip, If you can find an urgent care facility near you, then you won't have any copay to pay when you go to visit. This is important to take into consideration if you visit the doctor's office often. If you are not one to visit the doctor's office often then Plan N may be a good choice for you. It's important to remember that premiums vary from state to state.
For more information, please visit https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/plan-f-vs-plan-g-vs-plan-n/
For information on the 2020 changes visit https://www.medicarefaq.com/faqs/medicare-changes-2020/
Plan F - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-f/
Plan G - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-g/
Plan N - https://www.medicarefaq.com/medicare-supplements/medigap-plans/medigap-plan-n/
Like what you see? Join our Facebook group! It's a group dedicated to helping people become educated on Medicare. Whether you're a current Medicare beneficiary, taking care of a loved one on Medicare, or will be aging into Medicare shortly, this is your Medicare resource center.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/MedicareFAQ/
Hi, I'm Lindsay Engle and I'm the Medicare expert for Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com. Thank you so much for joining us on our Medicare Community YouTube channel. Today's topic is the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period.
Medigap plans were created to help supplement your Original Medicare benefits. They cover out-of-pocket costs such as the 20% coinsurance that falls under Part B. The most important thing to remember about your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period is that for the majority of beneficiaries it only comes around once in a lifetime.
Many beneficiaries may confuse the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period with the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period that comes around every October. When in fact the Annual Enrollment Period is not for Medigap plans at all. The Annual Enrollment Period is for Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Medicare Advantage or Part D plans. That is the time period that they can make changes. Now you can still enroll in a Medigap plan during the Annual Enrollment Period, you'll just have to go through medical underwriting and answer health questions.
Your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period is a six-month window that begins with your Part B effective date. During this time frame, you can enroll in any Medigap plan with any carrier without having to answer any health questions. You're guaranteed to be accepted into the plan. Medigap plans are also guaranteed renewable. A carrier cannot cancel your policy due to health conditions.
The only time your Medigap policy can be canceled is if you don't pay your premiums. Now for some people, your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period may happen more than once in your lifetime. There are two ways that your Medicare supplement open enrollment period can come around twice in your lifetime. One way is if you retire and go back to work. Then later on when you retire again, and you enroll in Part B, your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period six-month window will begin again.
The other way your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period may come around twice in your lifetime is if you're under 65 and collecting Social Security Disability Income. After collecting Social Security Disability Income benefits after 24 months you'll be eligible for Medicare. At that time, if you choose to enroll in Medicare Part B, your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period six-month window will begin.
Now many beneficiaries and many states may not be able to afford the premiums for Medigap plans for those who are under 65. Or you may live in a state that doesn't offer plans to people on disability under 65. So in this case when you do turn 65, you'll have another Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period. At that time you can enroll in a Medigap plan with the premiums being the same as everyone else versus being more expensive because you're under 65.
Now some states have their own guaranteed-issue rules such as California, Connecticut, Washington, Maine, New York, Oregon, and Missouri. For example, California has a birthday rule. This allows you to enroll in any Medicare Supplement Plan without having to answer health questions around the month of your birthday each year. Connecticut has a year-round Open Enrollment period. This means that residence in Connecticut can change or enroll in a Medigap plan without answering health questions at any time of the year.
If you missed your once-in-a-lifetime Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period and don't live in one of the states that have their own guaranteed-issue rules. You can still enroll in a Medigap plan at any time of the year.
Hi everyone Lindsay here with Elite Insurance Partners and MedicareFAQ.com. Welcome. If it's your first time joining us, we're very happy to have you here. Now there are many different enrollment periods when it comes to Medicare. Today we're going to talk about the General Enrollment Period and what low-income beneficiaries should know.
The Medicare General Enrollment Period
The Medicare General Enrollment Period runs annually between January 1st and March 31st. It's the second opportunity you have to enroll in both Medicare Part A and B. When you enroll during the GEP your coverage will begin July 1st.
Most Medicare beneficiaries are unaware that if they delay enrolling in Part A and Part B without Credible Coverage, they're going to see some penalties.
There are two ways around these penalties. One of them is if you're low income and you qualify for Medicare Savings Program. And the other one is if you're collecting Social Security Disability Income and you were paying these penalties when you turn 65 those penalties will then be waived.
Medicare Savings Programs
If you're a low-income beneficiary you may have some other options. If you decline Part B because the premium is too expensive, there are three Medicare Savings Programs that you may qualify for.
These MSPs will pay your Part B premium and also protect you against any penalties. In addition, to qualify for a Medicare Savings Program you must be enrolled in Part A.
Now if you didn't work enough quarters, and you don't get Part A premium-free, so you declined it due to it being too expensive, you may qualify for a Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Program.
Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Programs
Now, I could go much more into detail about these Qualified Medicare Beneficiary Programs and these Medicare Savings Programs, but that would make this video over an hour long. So we'll make sure to include some links below to our MedicareFAQ.com to where it will go over these in more detail.
Part D Special Enrollment Period
For those looking for Prescription Drug Coverage, when you use the General Enrollment Period to enroll in Part A and B, you'll actually get a Part D Special Enrollment Period. This Special Enrollment Period for Part D will be between April 1st and June 30th. The effective date will be alongside your Part A and Part B, which is July 1st.
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