Registering for Medicare at a late age...

[krishnak]

Hi All,
I am 82 years old and want to apply for Medicare Part B. I have been working continuously with three companies after I turned 65 and all employers provided group insurance for us. As that was cheaper and has more benefits than Medicare, I decided to stay with the group insurance. I am working with the current employer for the past 8 years and the company employs more than 3000 employees. I am planning to retire by the end of the year and want to get Medicare coverage from Jan 2025. My wife and I have Medicare Part A cards sent to us quite some time ago but we never used them. I was told that we should apply for Medicare Part B only now and get the employer to certify that we are covered by their health insurance plan. Do I have to provide proof that I had health insurance coverage for all 17 years (since I turned 65)? Or is it enough to provide proof that I have insurance from the current employer? I'll appreciate if someone can clarify the issue.
Krishna

 

[MBSC]

You need to have all 3 employers each complete a separate CMS Form L564 like the one below. This will prove you had continuous coverage all 17 years to avoid the Part B late enrollment penalty.

Form L564: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/cms-forms/cms-forms/downloads/cms-l564e.pdf

Technically, you should have had the prior two employers complete a form at the time of separation and then kept the forms in a safe place in case the old company goes out of business and no longer exists.

 

[krishnak]

Thank you for the response. Yes, one of the companies I worked with has gone out of business and does not exist in USA. One Medicare advisor has told me that I need to get the Form filled in by the current employer only if I worked with them for more than two years. I am with the current employer for the past 8 years. I do not have any form of separation from previous employers.

 

[MBSC]

For the company that has gone out of business, you will need to find some evidence that you had health insurance coverage with them. Your income tax returns from those years will have W-2 wage statements attached and the W-2 may include the value of the health insurance benefit in Box 12 labeled "DD". Or, the evidence could be an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) after a medical visit. A pharmacy may have records of you getting a prescription filled using the former employer's insurance.

There is a State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) with counselors who can provide additional information on how to show you had insurance coverage during that time. Start with the link below.

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State Health Insurance Assistance Programs provides free insurance counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, their families, friends, and caregivers.

www.shiphelp.org