still confused about medicare

This afternoon, I attended a three-hour online seminar from AARP on Medicare.

"How To Get More Out Of Your Medicare and Social Security Benefits" was the title, with the first segment being the keynote address from someone at hermoney.com.

That seemed to focus on Social Security.

I've already been through that hurdle, but listened in to see if there might be some areas that I was unaware of in my research on the matter.

No, not really.

 

The second segment had a group of sessions to choose from.

Fortunately, I'd taken the background questionaire before the seminar and it steered me directly to "Medicare 101: The A, B, C, And D of Medicare".

Okay, good things to know!

For instance, Medicare Part A is the one I've paid into all these years and so there is no premium to be paid for it.

That's nice!

It covers 80% of every hospitalization and extended-stay facilities.

That would leave 20% for me to pay?

That does not include long-term care, only short-term.

That sounds scary, compared to my Veteran Health Insurance.

It didn't get better with the other parts of Medicare, either.

Medicare Part B covers doctor visits and, unlike Part A, there'll be a premium.

Great.

Medicare Part D is all about prescriptions and it will have a premium, too.

Then there's Medicare Part C, which is also called Medicare Advantage, and it's a composite of Parts A and B and may even include Part D, as well as vision and dental.

Seriously?

This sounds like something a bunch of lawyers concocted.

But it gets even worse.

If I have not chosen my policy by my birth month, Social Security will AUTOMATICALLY enroll me into a plan for Parts A and B and will DEDUCT THE PREMIUM from my monthly Social Security check.

Say what???

That certainly got my attention.

So, I asked a question.

"When I enroll in Medicare Part A, is it mandatory that I also enroll in Part B?"

Jessica of SHIP answered:

"You don't have to immediately enroll in Part B if you plan to continue working. However you would need to be sure your coverage is considered credible under Medicare."

Well, there's two reasons that answer wasn't helpful for me.

First, I'm not working and have not been working since August of 2017 when I retired.

Second, just what was meant by "credible"?

So I put forth another query.

"Is Veterans Health Insurance regarded as credible health insurance? Would I need to enroll in Part B if I already have VHI?" 

This time it was Sonia who answered and she sent me to the section in the Medicare Resource Guide, as well as a link to that source for future reference.

"When you are 65, there is a seven-month window when you are eligible for premium-free Part A. If you are eligible for Part A, you must get Part B to continue receiving Tricare benefits. If you have VA health care benefits, sign up for Parts A and B within those seven months so you'll have coverage for non-VA doctors and hospitals."

Wait a minute, wait a minute!

Does that mean the MISSION Act fails to pertain to me once I reach 65 years of age?

Just how, exactly, does all of this work???

Sigh.

I sure hope I get a better grasp of it all by the time February rolls around.

That will be the start of my seven-month window for enrollment.

Now, I'm walking back up the street to see a dog and get some comfort.