Terminating Medicare Part B

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Topic Author
Swansea
Posts: 1528
Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:16 am

Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by Swansea »

I filled out the form to drop Medicare Part B about 4 weeks ago and mailed it to them. I also filled out the EZ pay form to cancel the withholding from my checking account. I have yet to receive an acknowledgement that the forms have been received or the actions processed.
Medicare was my primary, and my FEHB BCBS was my secondary. I contacted BCBS to let them know starting 01/01/2018 that they would be primary. Their response was Medicare has not advised us and can you get a letter from them. Well, the phone call said there was a one hour wait time to speak with a rep, so that won't work. BCBS also said to wait until the end of the month and they would contact Medicare. Has anyone had experience with this process, positive or negative?
4nwestsaylng
Posts: 516
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:03 am

Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by 4nwestsaylng »

Curious as to why you are dropping Medicare part B, as I am having to decide this month whether to enroll in part B and make my FEHB GEHA the secondary instead of primary.I plan to keep FEHB plan, so if I sign up for Medicare B, the FEHB becomes the secondary.

One thing I like about the FEHB plan is that the customer service is great, easy access to a live person on the phone. From what you say about the wait times for Medicare help it sounds like government. Also wonder if some docs are limiting their Medicare practice, they might still take an FEHB plan if it is the primary. Besides if you are over 65, the reimbursement rates are the same as Medicare for any primary plan. So do you think being Medicare B as your primary has limited you in choices, or what other reasons are behind your decision?
Topic Author
Swansea
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Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:16 am

Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by Swansea »

4nwestsaylng wrote: Wed Dec 13, 2017 10:12 pm Curious as to why you are dropping Medicare part B, as I am having to decide this month whether to enroll in part B and make my FEHB GEHA the secondary instead of primary.I plan to keep FEHB plan, so if I sign up for Medicare B, the FEHB becomes the secondary.

One thing I like about the FEHB plan is that the customer service is great, easy access to a live person on the phone. From what you say about the wait times for Medicare help it sounds like government. Also wonder if some docs are limiting their Medicare practice, they might still take an FEHB plan if it is the primary. Besides if you are over 65, the reimbursement rates are the same as Medicare for any primary plan. So do you think being Medicare B as your primary has limited you in choices, or what other reasons are behind your decision?
This was strictly a cost issue. I had no problem finding docs who accept Medicare in Montgomery County, Maryland. I was paying !87 and change per month, but getting around 60 bucks of so in benefits by saving co-pays, etc. With 5K in FEHB catastrophic protection, I was really only protecting myself from an additional risk of 2 to 3 K once you factor in the premium. And in 2020, the RMD will kick me up another tier.
Spirit Rider
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Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2007 1:39 pm

Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by Spirit Rider »

It is only anecdotal, but you might want to pm Small Law Survivor.

In that case it was Medicare Part A, but I believe it took several months of broken promises.
Topic Author
Swansea
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Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:16 am

Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by Swansea »

Spirit Rider wrote: Thu Dec 14, 2017 9:16 am It is only anecdotal, but you might want to pm Small Law Survivor.

In that case it was Medicare Part A, but I believe it took several months of broken promises.

Thanks, the back up plan is just to stop payment from my checking account if they don't process the action properly. Then they will terminate the plan.
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HueyLD
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Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by HueyLD »

I think it took about eight weeks to sign up for Medicare and to set up the EZ Pay. It will likely take at least as long, if not longer, to stop them.

Yes, IRMAA can be a deal breaker. It is a rare privilege to not be required to be on Medicare after turning age 65.

I guess you can get back to Medicare when your medical expenses start to creep up, but you will have to pay a penalty.
Topic Author
Swansea
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Joined: Sat Feb 13, 2016 4:16 am

Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by Swansea »

Well, the form that Medicare sent me in late November said the termination date is 12/31/17, so hopefully that will happen. And yes, I can always sign up again in an Open Season, and I will be assessed 10% increase in premium for each year I sit out. But the math still makes sense.
4nwestsaylng
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Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by 4nwestsaylng »

Interesting. I will have to see what Medicare B premium would be. My leaning is to just keep the FEHB plan as my primary, but that annual ten percent penalty for late signing for part B makes me a bit nervsous. In good health, on no meds, but of course the future is unknowable. I will probably sign up for part B, but, like you, I may decide in a year that I don't want to renew when I start RMDs. With the catastrophic limits in the FEHB, financially probably part B doesn't make sense but hard to say.
Topic Author
Swansea
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Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by Swansea »

4nwestsaylng wrote: Fri Dec 15, 2017 8:21 pm Interesting. I will have to see what Medicare B premium would be. My leaning is to just keep the FEHB plan as my primary, but that annual ten percent penalty for late signing for part B makes me a bit nervsous. In good health, on no meds, but of course the future is unknowable. I will probably sign up for part B, but, like you, I may decide in a year that I don't want to renew when I start RMDs. With the catastrophic limits in the FEHB, financially probably part B doesn't make sense but hard to say.
Just to be clear, if you are retired, Medicare Part B will be your primary and FEHB will be your secondary.
4nwestsaylng
Posts: 516
Joined: Thu Jun 15, 2017 2:03 am

Re: Terminating Medicare Part B

Post by 4nwestsaylng »

Correct. What is difficult is that we know major expenses are usually hospital based, and we get Medicare A, so if we keep the FEHB, and don't take part B, we still have full coverage of all hospital based expenses. However more and more, complex procedures and tests have moved to the outpatient area, which is covered by Medicare B.. So if keep only the FEHB, there could be significant copays in any given year, ie there could be some procedures or tests, then perhaps hospitalization (part A covered), perhaps outpatient infusion therapy (part B).

As you said, the FEHB has a catastrophic cap of about $7500 single in my case (GEHA standard) for 2018, but I have noticed that these caps have risen about $500 per year the past few years, so without having Part B, might be out of pocket quite a bit.But as you noted if you sign up for
B, it becomes the primary and FEHB the secondary.

I will likely sign up for part B, but if it gets too expensive when I draw RMDs in three years, it is nice to know that the FEHB is a pretty good primary coverage for the non-part A expenses.Also my FEHB includes prescriptions, so there is not a need for part D.

I will never drop my FEHB.
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