{"id":880,"date":"2021-07-06T17:52:39","date_gmt":"2021-07-06T17:52:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ddibenefits.com\/site\/?p=880"},"modified":"2022-02-21T23:56:15","modified_gmt":"2022-02-21T23:56:15","slug":"top-10-medicare-insurance-myths","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddibenefits.com\/site\/2021\/07\/top-10-medicare-insurance-myths\/","title":{"rendered":"Medicare Newsletter, July 2021"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We are excited to be reaching out to you, our Medicare community, with our new DDI MEDICARE E-NEWSLETTER!! While we have not been able to see you in person this past year, we\u2019re so happy to have reached many of you virtually, either through one of our live Medicare 101 Webinars, via a Zoom call, email conversation, by phone, or now via this E-Newsletter! We\u2019ve all had to make adjustments, and we are grateful that we were able to connect with so many of you, despite the challenges of the pandemic, fires, ice storms and heat waves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are here to continue to partner with you as you navigate your Medicare options when approaching 65, retiring past 65, or as you consider switching to a different Medicare Plan during open enrollment. Our DDI team of knowledgeable and helpful advisors can help guide you to the options that best fit your needs, and our services are always free to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Top 10 Medicare Myths<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Click on an item to see the answer<\/p>\n\n\n

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\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014My Medicare card will automatically arrive in the mail<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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If you are turning 65 years old and already receiving Social Security benefits, you should get a Medicare card in the mail about three months before your birthday. If you are not receiving Social Security at age 65, you usually need to contact Social Security to sign up for Medicare. You can do this starting three months before your birthday month. If you do not receive a Medicare card in the mail, contact your local Social Security office.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014Since I\u2019m still working and have employer insurance, I don\u2019t need to worry about Medicare until I retire<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Everyone turning 65 should understand how their employer\u2019s insurance works with Medicare. The decisions will depend on how your employer\u2019s coverage works with Medicare. Is your employer\u2019s prescription drug coverage<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014It doesn\u2019t matter when I enroll in Medicare<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Unlike Social Security full retirement, which starts at an age determined by your birth date, Medicare starts at 65. It has enrollment deadlines and lifetime penalties if you miss them. If you are not in the Social Security system already, individualized information is not going to arrive from Medicare; you must keep track of your deadlines<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014Since I\u2019m on COBRA, I don\u2019t need to sign up for Medicare Part B<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Being on COBRA does not count as actively working. You will not qualify to delay your Part B penalty-free. You may even have a delay in the start of your Part B and there could be a significant lapse in your coverage. To delay Part B enrollment without penalty, you or a spouse must be actively working and receiving coverage under the group health plan. If you are already on COBRA and your Medicare starts, turning 65 will change your status. Your COBRA will end.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014If I don\u2019t want to enroll in Medicare, I can purchase individual private insurance<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Individual health insurance products are typically not available to you once you are eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A. Whatever health insurance you have before you enter Medicare eligibility (an employer or union plan, veterans, Medicaid, or an individual policy), you need to talk to your plan, benefits administrator, or case manager to find out if your coverage will coordinate with Medicare.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014I don\u2019t want to pay for Part B, so I\u2019ll just take Part A and get a supplement for the rest<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Medicare Supplement Insurance (also known as Medigap) and Medicare Advantage plans all require that you have Part A and Part B in order to qualify for purchase or enrollment. You may, however, enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan if you have only Part A, Part B, or both.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014I won\u2019t draw Social Security until I turn 66, so I\u2019ll wait until then to sign up for Medicare<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Medicare and Social Security are two different programs. Medicare starts at age 65, regardless of when you draw Social Security. If you wait until you turn 66 to take care of your Medicare, you could find yourself with premium penalties and delayed coverage.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014Medicare Advantage plans are the same as Medicare supplements<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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Medicare Advantage plans are an alternative to the traditional way of getting Medicare benefits administered by the government. These plans are offered by private companies and can include prescription drug coverage. Medicare supplements (Medigap), in contrast, are additional medical coverage that you can buy if you want to fill the gaps in what traditional Medicare covers. You can have one or the other, but it does not work to have both. Assembling the best Medicare for you depends on many personal factors, ranging from your health and your budget to what other coverage you might have and what coverage your doctor accepts. A DDI Medicare Agent can help you navigate your options.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014My neighbor loves her drug plan, so it will probably work for me<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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How well a particular drug plan works for you depends on the prescription drugs you take, whether the plan covers your drugs, and how it treats your drugs (there may be rules about quantity limits or requiring you to try other drugs before the plan pays for a specific drug). There are a lot of differences between Medicare prescription drug plans; a DDI Medicare Agent can help you find out which ones cover your list the best.<\/p>\n <\/div>\r\n \r\n

\r\n \r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/i><\/span>\r\n <\/span>\r\n MYTH\u2014Medicare is the best source of all information<\/span>\r\n <\/div>\r\n
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