Paperless Medicare Premium Bill (CMS-500)?

[rm7683]

I'm enrolled in Medicare Easy Pay, so my monthly premium payments are payed by automatic deduction. I still receive, every month, a paper Medicare Premium Bill (CMS-500) which states plainly at the top right corner, "THIS IS NOT A BILL."

I thought, okay I'll just go paperless for this billing since I don't need a paper bill which is not a bill, and  can look up the bill on-line if I need to. Besides, receiving this bill every month is problematic on two fronts. It's a security issue, because my medicare ID number, Medicare reminds me needs to be protected to reduce fraud, is printed twice on it and I have to deal with securely destroying it every month. Secondly is an environmental issues because of the waste it unnecessarily generates.

I was surprised, when scouring the medicare.gov website, that there was no option for me to go paperless for this bill. I chatted with a chat agent who said, indeed, there is no way to entirely avoid receiving paper bills, but I could opt for one annual paper bill. For that, I would have to call the main medicare number. After enduring a long wait on hold, the agent had to go off and investigate. She eventually came back and said she would have to "escalate" my request. So now I'm to wait ? days for a call to see if that worked.

Am I the only one who longs to go paperless for this monthly bill?

[lf44455720]

Using the Medicare.gov online Chat option, I was able to have my Easy Pay statement changed from monthly to annually. The entire process took 12 minutes. Below is the message I typed when opening my chat session.

I am currently signed up for Medicare Easy Pay for my monthly premiums. I want to stay with Easy Pay. I would like to ask that my Medicare Easy Pay Premium Statement form CMS20143 be changed to me receiving one Medicare Easy Pay Premium Statement on an Annual Statement. I prefer not to receive the statement on a monthly basis.

[GailL1]

Came back to edit - You are right - I did find it in the Federal Rules but they certainly do not advertise it on the EASY PAY sites or forms 

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-408/subpart-D/section-408.65 

Copied and paste from link -

§ 408.65 Payment options.

(a) The enrollee is not asked to pay premiums at the time of enrollment but is instructed to pay them upon receipt of a premium bill from CMS or its agents. 

(b) However, if the enrollee wishes, he or she may pay from one to 12 months or from one to four quarters at the time of enrollment.

Follow it closely because I don’t see where there is a choice for “annual” on the CMS Form 20143  whether made by bank account withdrawal or by credit card.

[lo84047115]

THANK YOU, having seen this common concern, I dialed the main Medicare number, and following a brief 5 minute hold, SUCCESSFULLY asked to modify to 1 "Annual statement," of the form CMS-20143,  "Medicare Easy Pay Premium Statement."  I too, did not like having my 'Medicare number,' arrive monthly on a paper statement.  So, Thanks Again !

[GeorgeS388038]

Hi, thank you very much for your post regarding this! I am new to Medicare as of December 2021 (and not collecting Social Security) so I am also very troubled that one cannot stop the monthly paper Medicare bill from arriving in the mail. You very correctly highlight all of the benefits of doing so.

I do realize that the issue goes away when one starts collecting Social Security but I imagine that there is a subset of eligible Social Security recipients that delay their SS payments past age 65 or perhaps even closer to age 70. So based on the numbers, I think there would be real savings for Medicare to provide the option to turn off the paper for this population and provide a better customer experience.

If you have a chance, please let me know if you were successful in converting your Medicare billing from monthly to annual?

Many thanks! 

[rm7683]

Yes, after the agent escalated my request, the medicare advanced resolution center eventually got back to me and said they have changed the paper bill to annual from monthly.

[GeorgeS388038]

Hi, many thanks for this information! I contacted Medicare (1-800 - MEDICARE) this am and the agent has taken notes for my Annual Bill request. I am currently not set up for Medicare Easy Pay so the agent stated that I needed get that set up first and then Medicare will transition me over to the annual bill format.

Again, I really appreciate your guidance with this!

Kind regards! 

[teaguemc]

I was able to submit a request to stop receiving monthly premium statement to only receive an annual statement using the Chat feature in Medicare.com. Much better than calling.

[warrenha]

I tried using Chat at Medicare.com and they flatly said that there was no annual option for the monthly Medicare Easy Pay Premium Statement.  I guess they get paid by how many questions they can shutdown or close per day.  It gives the illusion of providing better quicker service.  At least it was not one of those goofy AI chat bots.  

[lo84047115]

If you have time, try again.  If not successful on Chat, my 5 minute phone call was successful to "go Annual."

[GailL1]

@warrenha wrote

At least it was not one of those goofy AI chat bots.

=====================

Give them time- I have heard and read that since returning to in-house work rather than remote that both SSA and Medicare have had a real issue bringing in new hires - then all the training, questions and answers are kind of hit and miss.

[somarco]

@rm7683 you have

4 ways to pay your Medicare bill:

1. Pay online through your secure Medicare account — You can pay by credit card, debit card, or from your checking or savings account. Learn more about paying your premiums online.

2. Pay directly from your savings or checking account through your bank's online bill payment service — learn what information you need to have ready when you contact your bank to set up this service.

3. Sign up for Medicare Easy Pay, a free service that automatically deducts your premium payments from your savings or checking account each month. We'll deduct your premium from your bank account, usually on the 20th of the month.

4. Mail your payment to Medicare — You can pay by check, money order, credit card, or debit card. Fill out the payment coupon that comes with your bill. Payments sent without the coupon may be delayed.

If you pay by credit/debit card, enter the account information and expiration date as it appears on your card

https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/pay-part-a-part-b-premiums

[rm7683]

The issue is NOT how to pay my Medicare bill. That is taken care of automatically every month via my enrollment in Easy Pay. The issue is that it is extremely difficult and time consuming to suppress the flow of paper bills coming to me. Even then, the best outcome possible was to receive a paper bill annually instead of monthly.

[ReTiReD51]

As soon as you log in, pull down the tab at the top with your name, chose account settings, it will list your communication settings, click on the edit button, you should be able to chose how you want to set your communication preferences for 3 Medicare mailings, I’ve said yes to all 3 and receive all Medicare communications electronically, including the handbook.

This works for me I hope it answers your question.

[rm7683]

Thanks for the reply. I wish it was that easy. Two years ago I opted for all three as electronic communications. Since then the handbook, eMSNs, and occasional emails all have been delivered electronically. However the monthly CMS-500 comes relentlessly by paper through the mail.

If you have a few minutes to spare, get on the medicare chat and ask how you can stop receiving your premium bill by paper. You will soon find out it's not easy.

[ReTiReD51]

I went online to Medicare.gov and ask chat about the monthly paper premium bill CMS-500 you are receiving even through you have set up automatic payment for your premium through your checking/savings/bank account.

 They told me the “premium bill is not available electronically” even though the paper bill is marked “not a bill” like you said previously.

Since my premium is deducted from my Social Security deposit each month that is the reason, I don’t receive the paper bill like you do. However, I can visit the Social Security website and see the monthly electronic transaction.

I agree it doesn’t make sense for you to receive a paper bill.

[rm7683]

Thanks. That's helpful. It's good to know that when I begin taking social security, it can be eliminated altogether.

The medicare advanced resolution center eventually got back to me and said they have changed the paper bill to annual from monthly.