News - A mosquito trap with Part B - A mosquito trap with Part B

    I wonder how many working Americans, including Camden residents, are paying premiums monthly, but unnecessarily, for Medicare Part B, the coverage for doctors' services, outpatient care, and other medical services not covered under Part A or Part D. I said "working" Americans because if either you or your spouse are still employed and covered by a group health plan, paying the Part B premiums may not buy you any greater benefits than you already receive from your employer provided health plan. Often both spouses are covered by the working spouse's health plan.

    The reason you can't receive benefits from both Part B and your employer health plan is because the "coordination of benefits" rules in most cases prevent you from receiving duplicate benefits. Only one or the other plan pays for specific medical bills. Furthermore, it is likely that Medicare will require you to pay higher "coinsurance" and "deductible" payments before Part B kicks in.

    The application process you go through at your local Social Security office might make you feel like you're getting caught unawares in a mosquito trap. And since there are many such mosquitoes in Minnesota, it could happen more than once. You wait there two hours for your number to come up, to make this once in a lifetime Medicare application; then you explain verbally to the counselor that you are fully covered by an employer provided medical plan. You sigh a breath of relief when the computer spits out the summary of your application, but you don't read this ugly governmental black on white wad of papers immediately, because all you want to do is get out of there. Then a week or so later, when you receive your Medicare card, with Part B included on it, you go back and read that application summary. Sure enough, you did agree to accept Part B, even though you thought you had cleared that hurdle.

    Now you have to go back to your local Social Security office and get a cancellation of benefits form, though not a big deal, but there is a time limit on your submitting this cancellation form. But be aware that if you cancel Part B coverage, you will also have a limited time to reinstate Part B after you are no longer covered by an employee or other group health plan. If you don't act fast enough, you will have to pay higher premiums forever for Medicare Part B coverage. That is a governmentally mandated penalty for not paying required premiums in a timely manner.

    This Medicare Part B mosquito trap has caught three mosquitoes I know, including myself, and one of those mosquitoes didn't get all his Part B premiums reimbursed. It sort of feels like the old "three strikes and you're out." Typical of Minnesota, all of these mosquitoes hold masters degrees or high professional credentials. How many American workers at any level of education have struck out?