kent
Ensign
Posts: 43
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Post by kent on Mar 1, 2024 1:58:55 GMT
flipperxxxHow did you figure out who to contact for Blue Cross? "my ex girlfriend was 5 or 6 years late on part b, thinking that since she had insurance through an ex husband and then cobra, both via blue cross, she didn't need to sign up for it when she became eligible. well, then blue cross finally got wind of this and started hitting her with massive bills over a three year period that my ex didn't deal with because she first had breast cancer, then a back fusion that failed, then a stroke that she survived in what her dr called a miracle, then another back fusion to fix the first. you can imagine what the bills were like that came rolling her way. at long last, i wrote a long letter to blue cross telling them about her travails and, another miracle, they stepped in and paid for everything that B would have paid for going way way back in time. had to do a lot of emailing to get it all sorted out but in the end -- god bless blue cross for doing the right thing. and yes, she got hit with that penalty from the feds for failing to sign up for B when she first should have but, once again, a few emails later, that, too, went away. so, as bad as things can get w/ insurance, sometimes the folks in charge can smooth things out. the trick, i found out, is to find the right person to talk to, the person who has the power to say yes"
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Post by anitya on Mar 1, 2024 5:14:10 GMT
I would not count on luck unless the mistake is inadvertent and not deliberate.
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Post by chang on Mar 1, 2024 7:40:10 GMT
Even though I live abroad I think I should pay the Medicare premiums. Sorry for a stupid question, but when does one need to sign up to avoid the penalty?
I am 61 now, thinking of taking SS from age 62 (or maybe 65). Medicare starts from age 65, right? And it is completely separate from SS, right? So to avoid the penalty, I need to be signed up before my 65th birthday?
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Post by fishingrod on Mar 1, 2024 9:28:53 GMT
Even though I live abroad I think I should pay the Medicare premiums. Sorry for a stupid question, but when does one need to sign up to avoid the penalty? I am 61 now, thinking of taking SS from age 62 (or maybe 65). Medicare starts from age 65, right? And it is completely separate from SS, right? So to avoid the penalty, I need to be signed up before my 65th birthday?
Enrollment is three months before age 65 to 3 months after you turn age 65.
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Post by yogibearbull on Mar 1, 2024 11:37:04 GMT
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Post by flipperxxx on Mar 1, 2024 15:27:58 GMT
flipperxxx How did you figure out who to contact for Blue Cross?
can't remember how i got to the person but her title was Member Service Manager -- manager being the operative word, i think. in any event, she didn't have the power to say yes in all cases but where she didn't, she persevered and got to yes in the end. she really saved my ex-gal's financial bacon, that's for sure.
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Post by yogibearbull on Mar 1, 2024 15:40:25 GMT
flipperxxx has an example where Lady Luck made someone very happy by fixing 2 obstacles - at insurer and at Medicare. But don't count on luck. In my own case, I am stuck with Medicare penalty that I don't feel was from my fault. But my appeals went nowhere. The lesson there was that while people may have vague ideas about what the rules are, or what they say (sometimes, the regulations are so densely written, that it's hard to figure out), but on the hindsight, everything is very crystal clear, and all becomes the consumers responsibility. At least that gave me the idea to add a Medicare primer for others.
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Post by anitya on Mar 1, 2024 18:02:10 GMT
Medicare penalty can not be waived if you did not have employment based insurance.
May be Chang can ask for a Medicare ruling now showing he has a Cadillac plan in a foreign country where Medicare does not cover. I suspect there must already be a ruling on those facts one should search first.
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Post by anovice on Mar 2, 2024 13:57:46 GMT
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Post by anovice on Mar 6, 2024 0:36:38 GMT
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Post by anovice on Mar 6, 2024 22:38:24 GMT
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Post by roi2020 on Mar 23, 2024 6:20:13 GMT
I haven't read every post in this thead so hopefully this information isn't duplicative.
Humana, a large player in the Medicare Advantage market, recently reported higher costs and lower profits. If insurers' profits continue to decline, coverage denials and monthly premiums may increase while doctor/hospital reimbursements may be reduced.
Barron's recently published a worthwhile article on this subject.
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Post by yogibearbull on Mar 23, 2024 10:35:01 GMT
Barron's Cover story this week is on Medicare Advantage - pros and cons.
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Post by anovice on Apr 6, 2024 23:45:52 GMT
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Post by anovice on Apr 8, 2024 8:02:17 GMT
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