By Reg Jones
Part A not mandatory, but smart to have
January 18th, 2012 | HEALTH INSURANCE Medicare RETIREMENT
Q. I turned 65 on July 6, 2011. I was advised prior to my birthday that I did not need to sign up for Medicare Part A until my retirement in July 2012. Is this correct? I am covered by a group policy at this time.
A. While you don’t need to sign up for Medicare Part A, I can’t think of any reason why you wouldn’t want to do that. Although you will continue to have deductions taken from your salary to pay for that benefit, you wouldn’t have to pay any premiums for that coverage. If you did sign up while working, your group plan would be the primary payer and Medicare Part A the secondary one. The combination of these two benefits often fills in gaps that each have. Further, they usually reduce the amount of co-insurances and deductibles you’d have to pay.
Comments
-
Nancy Gentry Says:
January 18th, 2012 at 6:17 pmI am 65 1/2, still employed by the govt and have BCBS health care coverage. My husband, 68, is covered by my health insurance and he has Medicare A & B. I signed up for Medicare A when I was 65. We were told by the Medicare office that Medicare did not cover any co-payments which my BCBS requires and since I am still working, BCBS is my husband’s primary insurance, so while he is paying for Medicare B every month, it pays little or nothing towards his health care, so the last part of your statement is questionable.
-
StephenGChen Says:
January 19th, 2012 at 4:01 amI believe this is correct. I also believe this is the kind of plan that we are likley to end up with, though somewhat less generous as it will be forced on us by our creditors who won’t give a hair about healthcare for seniors and the needy. Read “Penny Medical” articles if you dont have insurance.
-
Susan Says:
January 19th, 2012 at 12:39 pmThere is a penalty for not signing up for Part
B as soon as you are eligible so I’m wondering if your husband would have to pay that penalty if he waited; since he is tied to a policy which a working person is primary on, it seems he slipped though a crack. Interesting. The government is still back in the old days when women didn’t work, or if they did, they didn’t retire, or if they retired, it was before their husbands.