UNITED STATES\u2014Toni: I need your help! I have discovered that my mother, Sarah, who is 67, never enrolled in Medicare Part B or a Part D prescription drug plan when she turned 65. She enrolled in Medicare Part A, which doesn\u2019t have a premium so that she could pay her monthly bills. A friend told my mother that if she did not go to the doctor, my mother could wait to enroll in Medicare Part B when she had a health issue.<\/p>\n
Last month, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and received a bill from the cancer facility for outpatient care because Medicare has denied her cancer claim since she is not enrolled in Medicare Part B. I contacted the local Social Security office and was told that she must wait until January 1 to enroll in Medicare Part B during Medicare\u2019s General Enrollment Period. The Social Security agent said that my mother had missed her \u201cwindow of opportunity\u201d by not enrolling when she turned 65 and will receive a Medicare penalty. Please advise me what I can do to help my mother. Thanks, Toni. –Marianne from Baton Rouge, LA.<\/p>\n
Oh my, Marianne: Your mother, Sarah, has an extremely serious Medicare issue! She will have to enroll during Medicare\u2019s General Enrollment Period (GEP), which is from January 1 to March 31of each year for those who have never enrolled in Medicare. And she will receive the \u201cfamous\u201d Part B penalty for the rest of her Medicare life.<\/p>\n
Beginning January 1, 2023, Medicare\u2019s General Enrollment Period January 1-March 31 rules changed that helps Americans who had not enrolled in Medicare when turning 65. Now, when you enroll in January, February or March, your Medicare Part B will begin on the first day of the following month. Wait past March 31 to enroll in Medicare and your Medicare enrollment time will be delayed until January 1 of the next year, receiving a higher Part B penalty that will go all the way back to the month you turned 65.<\/p>\n
The Medicare Part B penalty that Sarah will receive when enrolling during Medicare\u2019s GEP is a 10 percent penalty for each 12-month period or year that she did not enroll. Her penalty will be 20 percent (2 years times 10 percent). The penalty stays in effect for the life of the Medicare beneficiary\u2019s Medicare coverage.<\/p>\n
Marianne, I do have one good thing to tell you and your mother because now is Medicare\u2019s Open Enrollment Period (OEP) which is from October 15-December 7. This enrollment period is when Sarah can enroll in a Medicare Part D plan that begins January 1, helping with her cancer diagnosis. She may receive a Part D penalty for not enrolling in a Medicare Part D plan when her Medicare Part A began.<\/p>\n
During Medicare\u2019s OEP, she cannot enroll in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan (MAPD) because she\u2019s not enrolled in Medicare Part B. After January 1, when Medicare\u2019s General Enrollment Period (GEP) begins and she is enrolled in Part B, then your mother can enroll in an MAPD plan if she chooses. During Medicare\u2019s GEP, she can also enroll in a Medicare Supplement without having to answer underwriting questions for a 6-month window because her Part B has just started.<\/p>\n
Medicare enrollment periods are listed below:<\/strong><\/p>\n