Medicare

Retirement
1

I am 64yo, and receive 3 monthly checks.
SSDI, VA Disability, and a tiny pension from my job.

I will be eligible for Medicare on April 1, 2019.
Social Security just sent me a letter stating they will be withholding
$135.50 from each SSDI check.
This is NOT supplemental insurance,
like Part B or Part D or whatever it is …
$135.50 is just the basic premium.

I don’t need Medicare …
I have all the health care I need for free from the Veteran’s Administration,
and all I have to provide is about $30/mo. co-pay for prescriptions,
and I will STILL have to pay that, even with Medicare.

Is there any way to opt-out of Medicare, or at least get a lower premium?

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2

I opted out of all, but Part A, which is provided at no charge to me. I receive Social Security and a pension, and pay for health care benefits through my previous employer. Not sure if the rules are different for SSDI.

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3

Dave,

Medicare Part A is free. The withholding you are referring to must be Medicare Part B which I believe you can elect to obtain or reject. Part D would be for medications. You can get more information at medicare.gov. Read below which was copied from the medicare website. Good luck.

Ray B

What if I don’t want Part B?

Make sure you review the situation above that applies to you so that you understand how dropping Part B would affect you. If you want to drop Part B, here’s how to do it:

Your Medicare hasn’t started yet

If your Medicare hasn’t started yet, there are 2 ways to drop Part B:

  1. If you were automatically enrolled in both Part A and Part B and sent a Medicare card [JPG], follow the instructions that come with the card, and send the card back. If you keep the card, you keep Part B and will pay Part B premiums.
  2. If you signed up for Medicare through Social Security, contact Social Security.

Your Medicare has already started

If your Medicare has started and you want to drop Part B, contact Social Security for instructions on how to submit a signed request. Your coverage will end the first day of the month after Social Security gets your request.

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