Medicare

[Raven]

Got my SSDI approved with a date of Dec 03- I am retired and have Tricare Prime family coverage for wife and kids- Should I look into the Medicare deal- From what I have read I will automatically be enrolled in Medicare but I have not heard anything?

Also, the only thing I got to know I was approved was a vague 4 page letter stating the effictive date and monies due- then a bunch of can statements- Nowhere does it give details on my disability or when I can expect a review- Do they send a more detailed package or is this the normal package they send

Thanks

Raven

[Pete53]

Raven you will not get your Medicare until 2 years after your effective date.

Knowing a little about you maybe you should consider an appeal for an earlier effective date. It should go back to last day you were able to work.

Good Luck

[Guest Dataman]

Since your "Retired" from Military.

You don't have a choice. You have to get "Part B". If you choose not to they will drop you from Tricare!

It's part of the Law "Tricare for Life"

As a Plus. Instead of paying $430 a year you can pay 87 a month (or something like that).

Sorry I am in the same boat. It does pay all costs (almost all the time). I went to ER in Nov and it paid all $2000 of it.

Medicare then Tricare picked up the rest.

http://www.tricareu.tricare.osd.mil/docs/T...ear%202001'

Module 9, pg 9-3

[Jay Johnson]

You need to get on this ASAP. Once you qualify for medicare you MUST take it as per the horrible new law passed in '05. What's worse is that tricare/medicare is very slow to recognize it and may catch the mistake at YOUR cost (IE - they decide tricare should not have been paying for your bills and you hadn't payed into medicare so they bill YOU..it happened to us). I guess for single people it may not be so bad because you're only paying about 500 more per year then you were previously (430/yr vs 900/yr to medicare), but for families, like mine, we still have to pay tricare 400/yr + 900/yr to medicare, for the wife. It was, in effect, a 300%+ raise on our healthcare with no net improvement in care:-(

P.S. - Horrible, Horrible, Horrible law......

Edited March 28, 2006 by Jay Johnson

[Berta]

Jay- thanks- I need info on this new law too-

Have two dear friends of over 35 years and they think that they do not need Part B-

they are not veterans but they don't seem to understand- for the minimal amount Part B is-it should be purchased.

I believe that SSA can penalise someone for not applying in time-for Part B but I might be confused-it is just a small monetary penalty-

Another friend I have did not pay self employment taxes -he gets SSA Retirement but might not qualify for Medicare-he is afraid to call them---and ask-

he got in trouble with an uninsured worker he hired decade ago ---didnt pay the workers unemployment money etc

Maybe the penalty is in that part of the SSA site-

they will sell Medicare to uninsured but it costs a LOT.

I think maybe the penalty is about that.

Thanks for this important info. Berta

[Pete53]

If you have prescription insurance that is better or equal to Part D you do not have to get it and if you get in latter the penalty will not be used. ChampVA is good enought that my wife did not need to enroll in Part D.

The best thing to do is call your Insurance Plan and get something in writing.

[Guest Dataman]

Pete;

Part "B" and Part "D" are different types of fruit. Apples and Oranges.

He has no choice on Part "B". I agree on Part "D" he does not need it. Everyone on Tricare sent ltr saying that.