How Much Does Medicare cost at age 65

How Much Does Medicare cost at age 65

Medicare covers a lot, but not everything.

Typically, you will need to pay for about 30 percent of your health care costs in retirement out of your own pocket.

After paying into Medicare through payroll withholdings at work for many years, some people approach their eligibility age of 65 with a misconception that their coverage will be free.

In reality, Medicare comes with a variety of expenses — including premiums, copays and deductibles.

High earners pay more for certain premiums, and there’s no out-of-pocket maximum.

Things that are not covered by Medicare

Things that are not covered by Medicare — dental, basic vision, over-the-counter medicines, long-term care.

Changes in Medicare 2020

It is important for senior citizens to know about the changes that will happen to Medicare in 2020.

Many seniors purchase Medigap plans, such as Medicare Part F, to help them pay for services that are not fully covered by Medicare Parts A and B.

However, Medicare Part F will no longer be available to new Medicare enrollees in 2020.

This will mean that new enrollees will have to pay for their Medicare Part B deductibles out of their pockets instead of having them covered by their Plan F benefits.

What Exactly Is Plan F?

The primary types of Medicare are Medicare Parts A and B, which are both offered by the government.

Medicare Part A covers hospitalizations, while Part B covers regular doctors’ visits.

However, people who have Part B must pay annual deductibles and copays. Plus, not everything is covered by Parts A and B.

One key benefit of Medicare Part F plans is that they pay for the Medicare Part B deductibles and copays.

When the changes occur in 2020, the government will not be taking Plan F coverage away from people who already have it.

Any Plan F policies that are purchased in 2019 will also be protected.

This makes it a good idea for you to purchase a Plan F policy in 2019, so you can maintain this type of coverage after the changes are enacted.

There are multiple benefits of purchasing supplemental Medicare insurance coverage. These include:

  • Paying for certain out-of-pocket expenses that you would otherwise have to pay, including co-insurance, co-pays, and deductibles.
  • Paying for services that are not covered by Medicare Parts A or B, including care when you are outside of the U.S. or coverage for the first three blood pints that you might need in a transfusion.
  • Coverage across each of the supplemental Medicare Plan letter types being standardized across the states; this means that a Plan F policy that you purchase in one state will offer the same benefits as a Plan F policy that you might purchase in a different state.

This has helped many seniors who might otherwise be unable to afford to see their doctors.

Turning 65 and Still Working Medicare – Florida

Many people keep working well beyond age 65 — the age when most people become eligible for Medicare.

If your employer offers health coverage, do you need to enroll in Medicare? What about Medicare’s prescription drug benefit?

Today, more Americans are working well past 65, the age of eligibility for Medicare.

If you are approaching your 65th birthday, and retirement isn’t on the horizon, here’s what you need to know about signing up for Medicare while still working.

Medicare While Working

Under current rules, if your employer has 20 or more employees, you don’t have to enroll in Medicare if you don’t want to.

Your employer’s group plan is the primary payer, which means they pay first on any healthcare bills you have.

You can delay enrollment into Medicare until you retire and stop actively working.

If you work for a smaller company with fewer than 20 employees, you must sign up for Medicare as soon as you are eligible.

With small companies, Medicare is the primary payer.

If you don’t sign up, but stick with your group plan, the group plan can refuse to pay your claims.

Even worse, when you do finally sign up for Medicare, you’ll be faced with late enrollment penalties.

Turning 65 still working Health Insurance through Employer

If you are still working and have a good health insurance through your employer, you don’t have to sign up for Medicare at age 65 and there will not be a penalty if you follow the rules (see below).

According to a Medicare spokesperson, as long as you have earned 40 work credits of Social Security, “you can sign up for Medicare Part A or B any time you want” without a penalty provided you meet both of the following conditions: a) you or your spouse are still working and b) you or your spouse are covered by a health insurance plan offered through an employer or a union.

Once you leave your job and are no longer covered by a group plan, you have eight months to choose your Medicare coverage.

This is called your “Special Enrollment Period” and it’s an eight-month window that begins either the day after your employment ends or the day your work-based insurance coverage ends, whichever date is earlier.

If you don’t sign up within your Special Enrollment Period, that’s when you could be subject to a penalty.

According to the Social Security Administration, your “monthly premium will increase 10% for each 12-month period” during which you were eligible but did not enroll.

Keep in mind that there are no premiums for Medicare Part A, which covers treatment provided in a hospital, a skilled nursing facility and hospice care.

That’s because you have been pre-paying for this coverage each year of your working life via the Medicare tax that is deducted from every paycheck.

While Part A coverage won’t go up in cost if you miss your Special Enrollment Period, other forms of Medicare coverage will, such as Part B (doctor visits) and Part D (prescription drugs).

In addition, both of these options are means-tested.

If your income is below a certain amount, you may qualify for assistance in paying these premiums.

On the other hand, if your income exceeds certain thresholds, you might have to pay more.

Enrollment Windows Are Limited

If you’re thinking about delaying your enrollment in Medicare, keep in mind that there are enrollment windows that apply.

After your initial enrollment window ends, you can only sign up for Medicare Part A and B during the general annual enrollment period from January 1–March 31, with coverage effective July 1.

And you can sign up for Part D during the annual enrollment period from October 15–December 7, with coverage effective January 1 of the coming year.

So if you delay your enrollment, you could be paying higher premiums when you eventually do enroll, and you’ll have to wait until an open enrollment period in order to have access to coverage.

If you’re only enrolled in Part A, for example, and you get diagnosed with a serious illness in April, you’ll have to wait until the following January to have Part D coverage, and until the following July—more than a year in the future—to have Part B coverage.

Although Medigap plans don’t have late enrollment penalties, insurers in most states are allowed to use medical underwriting if you apply for a Medigap plan after your initial enrollment window (when you’re first eligible for Medicare) ends.

This means they can charge higher premiums or reject the application altogether if your medical history doesn’t meet their requirements.

There is no annual open enrollment window for Medigap plans, so unless you’re in one of a handful of states that have guaranteed-issue rules for Medigap plans, you might be unable to purchase Medigap coverage if you don’t do so during your initial enrollment period when coverage is guaranteed-issue.

Medicare Advantage Plans when Turning 65

When you start depending on Medicare, you will not be able to count on it for all your medical needs.

Full Medicare covers only about half of your medical expenses.

So as you plan for retirement, you will need to shop for supplemental insurance that picks up where Medicare leaves off.

There are two types: Medigap insurance and Medicare Advantage plans.

They differ in what they charge, what they cover, and whether they apply to your community, or cover your medicines, your doctors and the places where you might travel.

Costs vary broadly.

Medicare and Taxes you pay on Social Security

Also, realize that your income impacts what you will be charged for Medicare and the taxes you pay on Social Security.

So financial planners suggest that people examine their savings a few years before retiring to ensure that during retirement they have a blend of IRA and Roth IRA plans.

Roth IRAs don’t get taxed in retirement and IRAs are taxed.

So by plucking a little money from each of the two plans for expenses each year, retirees can keep their taxes down and hold on to more of their Social Security and Medicare benefits than they would if they didn’t consider tax implications.

We want to be sure that you feel comfortable and have all the knowledge you need prior to enrolling in a Medicare plan. We’re here to answer all of your questions and address any concerns you may have.

Mintco Financial Medicare Planning

We serve individuals who are turning 65 and aging into Medicare as well as those planning for retirement.

We’re here to plan for your budget and your future as your needs for Medicare insurance arise.

What we really enjoy doing is helping people, and that’s what we get to do every single day.

We want to find you the absolute best Medicare plan possible   while also saving you as much money as possible.

Our team of dedicated, licensed agents can help you as little or as much as you need. Whether it’s answering a few questions about Medicare or creating a comprehensive Medicare Planner with you

Call us at any time at 813-964-7100 and be sure to ask for Lloyd!

Email us at info@mintcofinancial.com

www.MintcoFinancial.com

Get a Free Medicare Quote here!