Medicare going into effect 4 month's back automatically.

[marlinfshr]

I just had my phone interview to apply for medicare part A & B this morning. The lady called me back and said it will go into effect as of the beginning of this past August and I should receive my card in 4 to 6 weeks. My question is August? I have a current insurance policy that is good through the end of the year and has paid all my dialysis. Why should i need to pay an extra 5 month's of part b premiums for nothing really. I asked if it can be started on Jan. 1st and she said no. That since I'm on dialysis medicare has to become primary and goes back to when I would first qualify. That doesn't make a bit of sense as all those dialysis bills have been paid. Oh well, does this sound right?

[Shaks24]

Its medicare law. Since you trained for and did home dialysis the medicare effective date will be the 1st day of the month that the dialysis center reported as your start date. So if you started dialysis any day in August, August 1st would be your start date. I am in the same situation but happy for it. I started September 27th and my medicare start date will be September 1st. Still waiting on my card though. If you do in center dialysis then there is a 3 month waiting period for your medicare effective date. You can ask your dialysis center for a copy of the form. I did and they gave me one.

[KarenInWA]

That happened to me, too. However, Medicare is not primary for the first 30 (or is it 33?) months if you have private insurance. My insurance through work is primary, and Medicare is secondary, until sometime next year. Then Medicare will be primary for a few months until I reach my 3-year kidneyversary, at which point, Medicare goes bye-bye for me. Unless I start back on dialysis before then.

KarenInWA

[Shaks24]

Only if that private insurance is an Employer Group Policy I think. If you have an individual policy, them medicare is primary as soon as your effective date. Its all so complex.

[marlinfshr]

Actually she just called me back a little while ago to see when I would like it to start. I told her January 1st. since my current policy is good through the year. Again, it doesn't make any sense to me to start it earlier because I already reached my OOP max and extra month's (especially those that have past) would just cost me more money that I don't have. I guess I'll see when I get my first bill. Or does it automatically get deducted from my disability check. I forgot to ask.
My social worker has been telling me since I started on dialysis to wait till the end of the year to apply for medicare because I had already spent the maximum I could spend with my insurance.

[appleface]

Actually she just called me back a little while ago to see when I would like it to start. I told her January 1st. since my current policy is good through the year. Again, it doesn't make any sense to me to start it earlier because I already reached my OOP max and extra month's (especially those that have past) would just cost me more money that I don't have. I guess I'll see when I get my first bill. Or does it automatically get deducted from my disability check. I forgot to ask.
My social worker has been telling me since I started on dialysis to wait till the end of the year to apply for medicare because I had already spent the maximum I could spend with my insurance.

Dealing with Medicare is scary. Several years ago when I contacted the Medicare, the operators are helpless. Have to deal with them next year, since the  3 year after transplant is approaching. Scared to death that the whole thing will mess up.