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Hi, I’m Deborah Norville. Thanks for joining us for this Making Medicare Work for You Web exclusive. Let’s get to our first question.
Man #1
When can I start getting Medicare?
Norville
Amy, I’ll let you answer it. When are you first eligible for Medicare?
Amy Larrick, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
For most people, you’re first eligible at age 65. We’ve actually been getting that question a lot more lately since the Social Security full retirement age has been going up, but Medicare is still 65.
There are a few people who can get Medicare before 65. If you’re on disability under age 65. or if you have end-stage renal disease or ESRD, then you can get Medicare before 65. Other than that, the month you turn 65 is the month you can get Medicare.
Norville
And go to Social Security to apply for it.
Larrick
That’s right. A few months before you’re 65, if you haven’t gotten something in the mail already, you should definitely go to the Social Security office. Check in with them. Or you can go to their website and make sure you sign up and let them know you’re turning 65 and you want to get your Medicare.
Norville
Okey dokey. And this next question comes to us from a woman in Cleveland, Ohio.
Woman #1
Do I need to enroll in Part B? And if I’m enrolled in Part B, do I need to renew the Part B?
Norville
If she’s enrolled in Medicare Part B, does she need to re-enroll?
Hilary Dalin, National Council on Aging
First of all, just about everybody needs to enroll in Part B, as in “boy,” because it is the primary health coverage for most outpatient services: doctors and the like. The good news is, once you’ve got it, you keep it. You don’t have to renew that enrollment. You have to pay your monthly Part B premium, which most people do through an automatic deduction from their Social Security benefits. But you’ll never have to renew.
Norville
Okay. It sounds like something she didn’t want to do, so I think she’s going to be glad to get that answer. I’ve got a question about Medicare Advantage. Hilary, how do you find out if your primary care physician is a part of the network that’s in your plan?
Dalin
The best way is to talk to your physician and ask the physician which plans, if any, he or she participates in. You can also call the plan and ask them. You can look on the plan’s website. You can also look on www.medicare.gov. There’s a wide range of different options for finding out.
Norville
How difficult is it to find a physician that accepts Medicare? Not all physicians do, and certainly physicians are not obligated to accept Medicare patients.
Dalin
Well, it depends. Most physicians do participate in the Medicare program but it’s always a good idea – particularly for people going on to Medicare – to sit down and have that conversation with their doctor about what the future is going to look like when they go on to Medicare.
Norville
If your doctor is not in the plan that you’re considering, should you go to a different plan or pick a different doctor, Amy?
Larrick
It’s really up to you. If you really, really want to stay with that doctor, then you should be sure to pick a plan that you can see them with. If instead you’re not necessarily wedded to that doctor, and you’re willing to go to any good doctor in the plan, then you could pick whatever plan. Get their list of network providers and just go to one of those doctors.
Norville
It sounds like the moral of the story is, for the Medicare recipient, there is flexibility that you can take advantage of. You’re not being forced into situations that are not of your choosing.
Larrick
That’s absolutely correct.
Dalin
You can always, through Original Medicare, have your choice of providers, as long as they participate in Medicare from anywhere in the country.
Norville
All right. One more question. Let’s go to the monitor.
Woman #2
Why are there so many different Supplement plans for Medicare?
Norville
That’s a great question. I know it’s probably because they want to give everybody everything they want, but I’m sure this lady is sitting here going, “I don’t need this many choices. It’s overwhelming.”
Larrick
It can be overwhelming. The reason there are that many choices is for that very reason. We want people to be able to look at the different plans and pick the very one that really meets their needs. While it can be a little overwhelming, if you just take the time when you first turn 65, and just look at the different Medicare Supplement plans, and pick the one that best fits your needs, then you’re good. Then you don’t have to worry about it. You’ve got to go through it once, but then you should be good.
Norville
Whew! Thank you so much for your advice. We appreciate it, and thank you for joining us for this Web exclusive.
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Making Medicare Work for You
Answers to Common Medicare Questions
Making Medicare Work for You
Get answers to commonly asked questions about Medicare coverage. Who's eligible for Medicare and how do you enroll? Is it easy to find a doctor who accepts Medicare? Why are there so many Medicare coverage options?
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