I'm 62 years old and a retired government employee. I am on my husband's federal plan BC/BS family, FEP 105. He was a DC police officer and they never contributed to Medicare (we found out too late), and so he has to keep BC/BS. I understand he can pick up Part A under me now that I'm 62? My other question is should I just keep BC/BS and pickup Part A? or can I still get Medicare B and still be under his BC/BS? Not sure how that would work?
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I used to work for Medicare a while ago, and if my memory serves me right, if you qualify because of your age, and you are married, then he should be able to pick up part A under you. I don't want to give you the wrong advice, but to make extra sure you should call this number. 1-800-772-1213
Medicare is only available when a person reaches 65 years of age (unless they are disabled) so right now you will need to have insurance and since you are already on your husband's BC/BS that is what you should be checking on.
I believe you have a few years before you will be eligible for Medicare and there could be changes before that happens but you might want to check out your BC/BS policy to make sure you both have the coverage you need.
There are a lot of other plans but most are very expensive (without Medicare A&B) and most likely your husband has a good deal since he is a retired police officer.
Insurance policies are sometimes very difficult to understand so maybe you and your husband could discuss your plans with a BC/BS representative as they can also advise you on what will happen when you turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.
I would contact Social Security and Medicare.
My husband only picked up Medicare Part A at 65. I am younger and still working.
It is best that you contact medicare and SS to see what is going on. They have a lot of rules right now and they change all the time. If you want your benefits and need to keep what your husband has then it is up to them to decide how this works. Nobody here knows all the laws and it is hard for us to advise you on what to do. Just call them and make an appointment. Make sure you take in all your paperwork with you.
Every situation is different and I am not sure if the rules have changed since I left the industry 3 years ago, but it used to be you had to be 65 to qualify for any Medicare product unless you were disabled. I only dealt with members who were on non-government products and who lived in my state--so your situation and the DC metro area may be different.
That said, I always suggest that if you have questions you first contact the provider of your current insurance (which sounds like your husband's insurance provider).
Call the number on the back of your insurance card and ask to speak to the MEDICARE sales department. They will put you in touch (if they are like my former employer) with a licensed insurance broker for your state (this person will work for this company--and can provider you with their information).
If you learn you are NOT eligible for Medicare, you will need to decide if you want to speak to their Marketplace (Obamacare) sales team or if you are going to stay with your current policy.
Once you learn what you are eligible for through their product lines, I suggest calling each major insurer in your area (or if you have retail establishments where you can walk in) do that and talk to each to find the plan that will work best for you.
These should be free NO OBLIGATION quotes. The brokers get a commission if you purchase the insurance, you should never pay any thing to them. We are lucky here and I have never felt pressure to purchase any insurance from any broker I have met.
When picking a plan, it is very important to take past explanation of benefits (EOB) and pharmacy information for you for the past 2 years with you to the meeting.
Important things to know are in the past 2 years of how many doctor (PCP and specialist) hospital, ER, and Urgent Care visits you have had, as well as the number of therapy visits you have had--mental health and physical health like physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy. Also the number of medical tests you have had--X rays, MRIs, CT scans etc. The E as well as the names of your doctors, your medications, preferred hospitals.
You will need to compare co-payments and premiums and co-insurance between each plans on an apples to apples to apples basis so you can find the plan that works best for you.
Be aware that low premium plans are not always the best for you if you have health issues. Strive for a plan that includes all of your needs--like if you are heavy on pharmacy purchases, that all your meds are covered and at an affordable cost, or if you need chemo, that the out of pocket costs will not bankrupt you or if you need regular specialist visits that the co-pays are not so high you can't afford them.
Everyone is different and with a little planning you can figure out what works best for you.
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