New Application

[te1271]

My wife is turning 65 in September. On the application there is a question that asks if she is covered by health insurance. She is covered under my insurance now but that ends automatically when she turns 65. What is the correct answer for this question. She answered no because she will not be covered when Medicare takes effect but I'm not sure if that's what they are looking for. Also if that is not correct can we go back and change it?

[GailL1]

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@te1271 wrote:

My wife is turning 65 in September. On the application there is a question that asks if she is covered by health insurance. She is covered under my insurance now but that ends automatically when she turns 65. What is the correct answer for this question. She answered no because she will not be covered when Medicare takes effect but I'm not sure if that's what they are looking for. Also if that is not correct can we go back and change it?

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If she is losing her coverage under your plan when she turns 65 in Sept., then "NO" is the correct answer and she needs to go ahead and sign up for Medicare, Parts A, B - then choose how she wants to receive her Medicare benefits; meaning does she want original (sometimes referred to as traditional) Medicare or does she want a Medicare Advantage plan.

She also needs to determine what coverage she wants for her prescription drug coverage (Medicare Part D) - a free-standing plan or will it be one that is included in a Medicare Advantage plan for complete coverage under one plan.

[te1271]

Thanks. I know about the rest. I turned 65 last year so we know what plans we are going to choose. I seem to remember the application was longer when I did it. She logged on and in 5 minutes she was done.

[deetee2]

Beware of AARP/ My vision Care through eye care. Paid for it did not get glasses prescription never got right after 2 eye exams,glasses still blurry. Was told Can not get another eye exam until 2020. I Need glasses now. Not happy and don't have new glasses. Eye Care will not do a thing,paid for insurance used once and done. Do not go to Target optical they or the ones who could not do an exam.

[GailL1]

@deetee2 

Did the do all the test on your eyes and view your optic nerve - test for glaucoma / eye pressures / test for macular degeneration / look for cataracts, etc. ?

Next time you might want to see an ophthalmologist rather than an optometrist or optician.  You might have something else going on than just needing different glasses.

Talk to you insurer and ask them what you should do - since your Medicare coverage should cover these test.

[GailL1]

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@te1271 wrote:

Thanks. I know about the rest. I turned 65 last year so we know what plans we are going to choose. I seem to remember the application was longer when I did it. She logged on and in 5 minutes she was done.

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Maybe she didn't go through the whole process  and perhaps you did.

Medicare.gov - Getting Started with Medicare

Maybe she didn't sign up for myMedicare.gov and maybe you did.

Medicare.gov - 5 tasks for your first year with Medicare

It also depends on whether she has to "sign up" for it or whether she got it "automatically".

If she is already getting a Social Security benefit, it is automatic.

Since you had employer coverage when you signed up, you might have had to give more info on the plan and how Medicare would work with the employer coverage.

Medicare.gov - Should I get Parts A & B?

Medicare.gov - I have employer coverage

Your question is kind of open-ended - could be any number of things.

[te1271]

We actually tried to log on with her social and re-entry number to make sure she did everything correctly. We gat a message We are sorry for the inconvenience, but we cannot process your request online because some information we have on file is different than the information you provided. Then we then tried to start a new application. There they ask if she has a Social Security account which she does. We successfully log onto that account and hit continue and get the same message. Strange. We can log onto her social security account and view all her social security information with no problem so that information must be correct. I guess I will have to call and wait the 1 hr plus to talk with someone.Ugh!!

[deetee2]

No medicare does not pay for vision that is way I went through AARP and took out My Vision Care through Eye Med. I just need new glasses,my eyes have no other major concerns. I have had a private Doctor for 30 year but lost my insurance when my husband passed away.It is just sad that Target optical couldn't get it right. I had 8 appointments.My problem now is EYE Med is saying I can't get another eye exam with thir insurance until July 2020. I paid insurance in full.

[GailL1]

Medicare covers these eye test.

Medicare.gov - Eye Exam Coverage

All I am saying is that for a complete eye exam, these test should be done -

cataracts, glaucoma, macular degeneration.

Your vision problem could be due to one of these.  If so, the disease has to be treated.

Eye exam for just changing glasses for corrected vision is relatively cheap.

Maybe try another place and see if they get the same corrective vision numbers 

or are you saying that they made the glasses wrong - if so, another place can also do a reading on the glasses.

If you wear bifocals or trifocals it is also important that the area where the grading takes place is correct.