Thanks for joining Hovis & Associates, for Part 1 of a 2-part series on working past Medicare eligibility. Here are the mostly commonly asked questions from clients.
Do I need to do anything if I’m still working?
“Do I need to anything?” sounds like a strange question, but actually a lot of people who work past 65 and have employer coverage don’t think they necessarily have to do anything, even if they are eligible for Medicare. So, that is the first question we get a lot of times, and the answer is, yes, you do need to something and the most important thing would be to talk to your HR department to find out some more details about your plan.
Will I get penalized for not signing up for Medicare?
A lot of people hear rumors about getting a penalty if they do not enroll in Medicare when they are first eligible. After they talk to their HR department and find out if they need to enroll in Part B, they also need to find out if they have creditable coverage. If they do have creditable coverage, they do not need to enroll in Part B, necessarily, and they would not be penalized when they do enroll in Part B, at a later time.
Do I need to enroll and pay for Part B?
The answer to that depends on when you talk to your HR department and find out the size of your employer plan. If the plan has over 20 people in it, then plan will be primary and Medicare will be secondary. If you are smaller than 20 people, then Medicare will be primary and most likely you will need to enroll in Part B. A lot of people don’t like to pay for Part B, but a lot of times it is necessary.
Should I come off my employer coverage?
There’s a lot of factors that go into answering this question. Everybody’s situation is different. Every employer plan is different. Every plan has different rules and guidelines. So, to really answer that question correctly, we need to look at a lot of factors. So, setting up an appointment at Hovis & Associates, we will gather all the information we can and give you the best possible answer.
Join us for Part 2 of working past your Medicare Eligibility. At Hovis & Associates we make Medicare Simple! Follow us on YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn and at hovisandassociates.com.