If you or someone in your family is newly eligible for Medicare, now is the time to enroll. The general enrollment period (GEP) for Part B ends March 31.
Part B of Medicare covers a range of services, including doctor visits and outpatient therapy. Consumers who enroll during the GEP will have coverage effective July 1, 2011.
“It is imperative that consumers take this opportunity to enroll in Medicare,” said Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center. “Time and time again on our hotline, we hear from people who did not enroll in Part B when they first became eligible and are now suffering the consequences.
“The complex rules that govern how employer and retiree health insurance coordinate with Medicare often create a perfect storm of confusion for consumers. Many experience a gap in coverage, and when they finally do gain coverage they are stuck with a premium penalty that they must pay for the rest of their lives,” Baker said.
Most Medicare consumers enroll in Part B during their Initial Enrollment Period, the seven-month period surrounding their 65th birthday.
Some people have a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to enroll in Medicare after the Initial Enrollment Period has passed. You may be eligible for an SEP if you or your spouse had group health coverage through a current employer at the time you became eligible for Medicare. In such cases, you can typically enroll in Medicare without penalty at any time while you still have group health coverage from a current employer, and for eight months after you lose your group health coverage or you or your spouse stop working, whichever comes first.
If your Initial Enrollment Period has passed and you do not qualify for an SEP, you need to enroll in Medicare during the GEP. You must do so before March 31, because you will not have another chance to enroll until January 1, 2012, for coverage effective July 1, 2012.
Consumers who missed their chance to enroll and were misinformed by a government official about enrollment rules may be able to enroll retroactively in Part B without incurring a late enrollment penalty. However, this process, called “equitable relief,” can be difficult to complete.
To enroll in Medicare, contact your local Social Security office. You can also apply online at www.socialsecurity.gov.
