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Normally you receive a Medicare membership card within five weeks after you apply. However, if you need to go to the pharmacy before you membership card arrives, you can show a letter that includes your complete membership information, enrollment confirmation, or a temporary care from Medicare. If you have any questions, please click on the following link: Medicare Supplemental Insurance

Medicare assignment sounds strange, but it is a part of Medicare on day-to-day basis, so
you might as well understand what it is and how it affects you.  Medicare assignment means that your doctor or providers has signed an agreement with Medicare to accept the Medicare-approved payment for services, but the problem is that some doctors and providers who enrolled in Medicare will not accept an assignment (allowing Medicare to pay a portion of the bill).

So it’s to your benefit to double-check to make certain your doctor or provider will accept
assignment for Medicare-approved coverage.

If the doctor does not accept assignment, which the doctor or provider is supposed to
submit a claim to Medicare directly, you will be forced to pay the bill and
submit the claim directly to Medicare to recover up to 80% of the bill. Ask for
claim form #CMS-1490S when you call Medicare.

If you need a specialist who understands Medicare and Medicare Supplemental Insurance,
please click on the following link: Medigap Insurance

Normally you can sign-up for Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) during your initial enrollment period when you turn sixty-five, or you can enroll in Part D during October 15 through December 7. In addition, you can switch from one Medicare Prescription Drug Plan to another plan or drop your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan completely. It would be a wise decision to see a licensed agent to evaluate your Medicare Prescription Drug Plan during this period.

Walkers, wheelchairs or hospital beds are covered under a provision in Medicare Part B to cover durable medical equipment. Anyone who has Medicare Part B can get durable medical equipment as long as it is medically needed and your doctor, nurse, or physician assistant prescribed it for you use in your home. For further information on Medicare, please click on the following link: Medicare Supplement Insurance

It’s amazing how many seniors who turn 65 have no idea what Medicare Part A is or how Medicare Supplement Insurance works in tangent with Medicare. Medicare Part A covers the following:

a) Inpatient care in hospitals.

b) Inpatient care in a skilled nursing facility, but it does not include custodial care (long-term care).

c) Hospice care services.

d) Home health care services.

e) Inpatient care in a religious non-medical health care institution.

For additional information on Medicare Part A, please click the following link: Medicare Part A

You are either working or not working, each scenario will determine if you should get Medicare Part B. When your coverage ends with your employer you may want to take advantage of Medicare Part B. When employment ends, three things will happen:

1) You may elect COBRA coverage, which continues your health coverage through the employers plan (in most cases only eighteen months) and probably at a higher cost to you.

2) You have eight months to sign-up for Medicare Part B without penalty. This period will run whether or not you elect COBRA. If you elect COBRA, don’t wait until your COBRA benefits end to enroll in Medicare Part B. If you enroll in Medicare Part B after eighteen months, you may have to pay a penalty to Medicare.

3) When you sign-up for Part B, your Medicare Supplemental Insurance  open enrollment period begins.

If you have Medicare Part A and TRICARE coverage, you must sign-up for Medicare Part B to keep your TRICARE coverage. However, if you’re an active duty service member, or spouse or dependent child of an active duty service member, the following applies to you:

a) You don;t have to enroll in Medicare Part B to keep your TRICARE coverage while the service member is on active duty.

b) Before the active duty service member retires, you must enroll in Medicare Part B to keep TRICARE without a break in coverage.

c) You can get Medicare Part B during a special enrollment period if you have Medicare because you’re 65 or older, or disabled.

If you’re interested in additional information on Medicare, please click the following link: Medicare

If you’re not getting Social Security or RRB and you’re still working and you want Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B, you will need to sign-up even if you’re eligible to recieve Medicare Part A for free. If you’re not eligible for Medicare Part A for free, you can buy Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B. You should contact Social Security three months before you turn sixty-five. Call Social Security at: 1-800-772-1213

In addition, you will need a Medicare Supplemental Insurance policy to fill-in the gaps in your Medicare coverage. Click on this links for additional free information of Medigap Insurance Plans.

You will probably pay a higher premium (a premium added to your monthly premium) than if you had joined when you were first eligible. You should also consider that your prescription drug needs could increase as you get older. Each month that you wait to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan will make your late enrollment penalty higher.

Your Medigap carrier must send you a notice every year telling you if the prescription drug coverage in your Medigap policy is creditable. You should keep these notices in case you decide later to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

If your Medigap policy includes creditable coverage and you decide to join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, you won’t have to pay a late enrollment penalty as long as you don’t drop your Medigap policy before you join the Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

You can only join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan between October 15th – December 7th unless your policy is not guaranteed renewable and your company cancels it. In that case you can join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan at any time you lose your Medigap policy.  For additional inforamtion, please click the following link: Medicare Prescription Drug Plan

An insurer can offer a variety of different plans, but they do not have to offer every plan available. Insurers must offer Plan A if they sell Medigap policies. If an insurer offers a Medicare Supplement Plan, they must also offer Plan C or Plan F. For additional information, please click the following link: Medicare Supplement Insurance

Because you may have a guaranteed issue right to buy a Medigap policy, make sure you keep the following:

1) A copy of any letters, notices, e-mails, or claim denials that have your name on them as proof of your coverage being terminated.

2. The postmarked envelop these papers come in as proof of when it as mailed.

You may need a copy of some or all of these papers with your Medigap application to prove you have a guaranteed issue right. You can apply for a Medigap policy while still in your health plan coverage before your coverage ends. This will help prevent breaks in your health coverage. For additional free information, click on this link: Medicare Supplemental Insurance.