Medicare B billing snafu

[AlanP960342]

How can Medicare B not be covered automatically when benefits start regardless of the impact of work earnings?

I am enrolled in Medicare part B while continuing to work.
My benefits began, but my earnings exceeding the max level, are suspended for some months.

Medicare is continuing to bill me for quarterly premiums.
SSA informed me since I received no payment, my premium could not be deducted, therefore I owe it.

When is Medicare ever going to know when to stop sending me quarterly billings, or for that matter, when to start them again if I continued to work?

Thanks,

[GailL1]

Everybody that has signed up for Medicare Part B has to pay the monthly premium unless they opt out.  If a person does not get Social Security yet, where the payments can be automatically deducted, then they are billed for the premiums, usually quarterly or monthly by automatic deduction or credit card payment.  

Medicare Part B is a voluntary signup benefit but doing without it means that you do not have coverage for things Part B covers like doctor visits, durable medical equipment, immunizations, preventive services among other things that are considered outpatient.  If you don’t pay the premiums, your coverage will stop.  Then if you ever want to pick it up again, you will pay a monthly Part B premium penalty that last forever. The penalty also gets bigger in amount as time goes by - 

Now IF you have health care coverage from an employer GROUP coverage, you can submit a form to Medicare (Social Security) and have your Part B delayed without premiums IF the employer coverage is considered credible by Medicare.  Then once you lose this “credible” employer coverage, you would sign up for Part B with a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) as long as the form from your and your employer has been completed and returned to them.  Otherwise, you would have to sign up during a certain time of the year, which isn’t always timely so you might have a month or two of no coverage - which means a couple of months of penalty assessment.

If you were already getting a Social Security benefit when you became 65 years old, then yes, they do sign you up automatically since they don’t know if you have employer credible coverage.  

Since your earnings were above the 2024 threshold, they are taking back some of your Social Security benefits since you aren’t really retired - After you reach your full retirement age, you can work and earn all you want to without your benefit being affected.

Once your benefits have began again which would be after you are no longer over the income threshold OR you reach your Full Retirement age - they will begin the auto deduction of Part B premiums again.

If you pay AND have the amount of the premium deducted for the same month, they will send you a refund of any premiums that have been overpaid but it take a few months for this to happen.  Keep track of them with proof of payments and deductions.

Medicare Part B premiums are for the month they are billed.  Unlike Social Security which is paid one month in arrears. 

Some links for you

Opt-Out form:  CMS-1763

CMS L564 - Request for Employment Health Insurance Information 

CMS 40B, Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B

Hope this helps.

[AlanP960342]

Thanks for the helpful expertise