UNITED STATES—Dear Toni, my Medicare starts November 1, and I received my first bill, due on October 25, about a week ago. This bill is for three months from November 1 to January 31 and is over $550. I currently have more than $12,000 in my Health Savings Account (HSA) debit card through my past employer, and I was wondering if Medicare will accept payments made with an HSA debit card.

I still work and make more income than Social Security allows without having to pay a penalty because I am not at what Social Security calls my full retirement age. So, I can’t start my Social Security check so that my Medicare premium can be deducted monthly. How can I pay that premium amount by the due date? Hope your answer will make this Medicare situation less stressful.

–Valerie from Cleveland, Ohio

Hello Valerie: Guess what?  Medicare offers four ways to pay your premium online and having an HSA account is one of them. Valerie, you should open a www.medicare.gov account since you are not receiving your Social Security check. The ways of paying are using a HSA card, a credit/debit card or a direct payment from your checking or savings account. Medicare’s payment service is free.

Once you open your Medicare account at www.medicare.gov, you can arrange to pay your bill using your HSA, credit/debit cards or bank account by clicking on the box “Pay my premium” under “What do you want to do?” To have your Medicare Part B premium set up to be paid on a monthly basis, visit “Medicare.gov Easy Pay” and elect monthly payments. It takes about 6-8 weeks for the “Medicare Easy Pay” form to process. Be sure that you keep up with your monthly premiums, so your Medicare Parts A and B are not terminated before the Medicare Easy Pay form is activated.

Readers, I urge everyone on Medicare to stay current with your Medicare premium. By missing a premium payment, Medicare beneficiaries can lose their benefits and may be charged a penalty when they reenroll.

To create a Medicare.gov online account, you must have applied for Medicare Part A and have your assigned Medicare number. On your Medicare account is information such as:

  • Your Medicare Part A and B enrollment dates
  • What Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan you are enrolled in
  • Options to pay your Medicare premium, Medicare claims, print your Medicare card and much more.

The Medicare Part D prescription drug plan premiums are managed by the Medicare Part D prescription drug company. Medicare beneficiaries can pay their Medicare prescription drug premium either directly to the prescription drug company by check or credit card or by deductions from their Social Security payments.

Like Valerie, many Americans do not realize that they can pay their Part B premiums monthly when not receiving their Social Security check by following the rules governed by Medicare. Take your time and study this Medicare rule.

I always advise readers enrolling or already enrolled in Medicare to visit www.medicare.gov to open a Medicare account. (Chapter 1 of Toni’s Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition explains how to enroll in Medicare properly and receive your Medicare number to open a Medicare.gov account whether turning 65 or past 65 and still working.)

Remember, with Medicare it’s what you DON’T know that WILL hurt you! Medicare is not cookie cutter…One size does not fit everyone!! If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664.

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare, Social Security and long-term care issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays.com to keep up to date on Medicare changes.