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>> BARRY MOWBRAY: MEDICARE, FEDERAL PROGRAM, INDIVIDUAL
INSURANCE. THERE IS NO GROUP FEATURE TO MEDICARE.
MEDICARE COVERS THE INDIVIDUAL, AND AS IT WAS ORIGINALLY
DESIGNED IT'S FOR PEOPLE 65 YEARS OLD AND ABOVE, AND THAT IS
ONE THING TO REMEMBER. IS MEDICARE IS STILL 65.
YOU CAN RETIRE AT 62, YOU CAN PUT IT OFF UNTIL 67.
THE SUBJECT OF MEDICARE NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH TO THE AGE BASED
BENEFICIARY AT AGE 65. EVEN IF YOU'RE GOING TO WORK
PAST 65 AND HAVE EMPLOYER COVERAGE, YOU STILL NEED TO BE
IN CONTACT WITH THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE
A DECISION ABOUT MEDICARE. NOW THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE ON
MEDICARE NOW THAN THERE WERE ORIGINALLY. WE STILL HAVE THE
65-YEAR-OLD AND ABOVE BUT WE ALSO HAVE ANYBODY THAT IS DECLARED
DISABLED BY THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, AFTER 24 MONTHS
OF DRAWING SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY BENEFITS BECOMES
AUTOMATICALLY ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE. ALSO PEOPLE WITH CERTAIN
DISEASES, ALS LOU GEHRIG'S DISEASE, END STAGE RENAL
FAILURE, KIDNEY DISEASE, THOSE FOLKS ARE AUTOMATICALLY
QUALIFIED FOR MEDICARE. THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WE DEAL
WITH 65-YEAR-OLD QUALIFICATION OR THROUGH THE DISABILITY
PROGRAM. HOW DO YOU JOIN MEDICARE? IF YOU ARE DISABLED OR WITH THE
DISEASES, IT'S AUTOMATIC. IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT IF
YOU'RE 65. THERE IS VARIOUS OPTIONS. IF YOU ARE ON SOCIAL SECURITY,
RETIREMENT BENEFITS, BEFORE AGE 65, YOU AUTOMATICALLY ARE
ENROLLED IN MEDICARE AT AGE 65. HOWEVER, IF YOU ARE NOT DRAWING
SOCIAL SECURITY RETIREMENT BENEFITS, YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO
CONTACT THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION TO ENROLL IN
MEDICARE. AND YOU HAVE A 7-MONTH WINDOW IN WHICH YOU
CAN DO THIS. THE THREE MONTHS BEFORE OF YOUR 65th BIRTHDAY,
AND MEDICARE ALWAYS BEGINS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH.
IT BEGINS ON THE FIRST DAY OF YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH UNLESS YOUR
BIRTHDAY HAPPENS TO FALL ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH, IN WHICH
CASE IT BEGINS THE FIRST DAY OF THE PRECEDING MONTH. WHY THAT
IS, I HAD IT EXPLAINED TO ME. OTHER THAN IT BEING A GOOD
TEST QUESTION, I'M REALLY NOT SURE WHY, BUT THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.
AGAIN, YOU HAVE A 7-MONTH WINDOW TO JOIN, THE THREE MONTHS PRIOR
TO YOUR 65th BIRTHDAY, THE MONTH OF YOUR 65 BIRTHDAY AND THE
THREE MONTHS FOLLOWING THE MONTH OF YOUR 65th BIRTHDAY.
WHEN YOU APPLY DEPENDS WHEN YOUR MEDICARE STARTS. IF YOU APPLY
IN THE THREE MONTHS BEFORE YOUR 65th BIRTHDAY, MEDICARE STARTS
THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH OF YOUR BIRTHDAY. IF YOU APPLY THE MONTH
OF YOUR 65th BIRTHDAY, IT BEGINS THE FIRST DAY OF THE FOLLOWING
MONTH. IF YOU APPLY IN THE MONTH FOLLOWING THE MONTH OF YOUR 65th
BIRTHDAY, IT IS DELAYED UNTIL THE SECOND MONTH FOLLOWING.
IF YOU WAIT UNTIL THE SECOND OR THIRD MONTH, IT IS DELAYED BY
THREE MONTHS. WHY? THERE IS A REASON. THERE IS LOGIC TO THIS.
PEOPLE DECIDE, WELL, I'M ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE, I HAVE TO
PAY FOR SOME OF IT. I'M NOT GOING TO USE ANY SERVICES FOR A MONTH
OR TWO, SO I'LL JUST DELAY IT. THAT'S NOT THE POINT. YOU NEED
TO TAKE IT WHEN YOU'RE ELIGIBLE, AND BY DELAYING THIS, THEY KEEP
PEOPLE FROM EASILY BEING ABLE TO SAY, WELL, I'LL WAIT A MONTH AND
IF I NEED IT, I'LL START IT. THEY DELAY IT. IF YOU HAPPEN TO
MISS THIS INITIAL PERIOD, AND YOU HAD NO REASON FOR NOT ENROLLING AND
ACTUALLY EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ENROLL, IF YOU WANT TO
DELAY MEDICARE, YOU NEED TO ACTUALLY TALK TO THE SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AND LET THEM KNOW THERE IS A REASON WHY
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ACCEPT THE BENEFITS OF MEDICARE AT AGE 65,
AND THE ONLY REASON YOU'D DO THAT IS IF YOU'RE GOING TO WORK
PAST 65, OR YOUR SPOUSE WILL WORK PAST 65, AND YOU'RE GOING
TO BE COVERED BY AN EMPLOYER GROUP PLAN THAT WILL BE YOUR
PRIMARY INSURANCE. THERE ARE RULES ABOUT SIZES AND SO FORTH, WHICH
I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO RIGHT NOW, BUT WHEN YOU FACE THOSE
DECISIONS, YOU NEED TO BE AWARE THAT EVERY EMPLOYER GROUP PLAN
DOES NOT NECESSARILY GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO DELAY MEDICARE, SO IT'S
SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE DISCUSSED WITH SOMEBODY. EVERYTHING WE'RE
TALKING ABOUT TODAY THAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT TODAY WILL BE IN ONE OF TWO
SHIIP BROCHURES. THE BASIC BENEFITS OF MEDICARE IN WE CALL IT THE SHIIP
COMBO FORM, BUT THIS FORM, THE BASIC SHIIP COUNSELING FORM EXPLAINS
ALL THE BENEFITS OF MEDICARE AND ALL THE OTHER PROGRAMS INVOLVED
WITH MEDICARE. THE BROCHURE THAT ACTUALLY DEALS WITH ENROLLING IN
MEDICARE AND WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS THE ROAD TO MEDICARE, PLANNING YOUR
DRIVE TOWARDS 65. THIS BROCHURE COVERS EVERYTHING WE'RE GOING TO TALK
ABOUT TODAY AS WELL AS HAVING ON THE BACK THE PHONE NUMBERS THAT
YOU MAY NEED TO TALK TO ABOUT MEDICARE. AND ONE THING TO UNDERSTAND ABOUT
MEDICARE IS THERE IS TWO AGENCIES REALLY INVOLVED BEYOND SHIIP.
SHIIP WE'RE COUNSELING AGENCY, HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT.
BUT THERE ARE TWO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCIES INVOLVED. THE SOCIAL SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION, BASICALLY DOES TWO THINGS FOR MEDICARE.
THEY ENROLL YOU IN IT AND THEY MAKE SURE YOU PAY FOR IT.
OTHER THAN THAT, THEY ARE MORE OR LESS OUT OF THE PICTURE.
THERE IS ONE OTHER THING THEY CAN DO, IF YOU HAPPEN TO LOSE
YOUR MEDICARE CARD THEY CAN REPLACE IT. BUT THEY ARE REALLY
THERE IS A REASON FOR THAT. THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
IS THE ONLY PHYSICAL PRESENCE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE 1,300 SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU WANT TO WALK IN A FEDERAL OFFICE, THAT'S ABOUT THE ONLY
OPTION YOU HAVE. AS WITH MANY THINGS THAT COME ALONG THE SOCIAL
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION ENDS UP BEING THE FACE OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT. THE BENEFITS OF MEDICARE ONCE YOU'RE IN THE MEDICARE
PROGRAM AND ARE USING THE BENEFITS, THEY ARE HANDLED BY
THE CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND MEDICAID SERVICES, BASICALLY
CALLED, WHENEVER PEOPLE REFER TO IT THEY CALL IT MEDICARE. THAT'S WHO
THEY CALL. PHONE NUMBER 1-800-MEDICARE, AND THEY HANDLE THE BENEFITS OF
MEDICARE. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ENROLLING YOU, NOTHING TO
DO WITH PAYING FOR IT. SHIIP, WE'RE THERE TO HELP PEOPLE DEAL WITH
WHEREVER THEY FALL WITHIN THIS PICTURE, WHOEVER THEY ARE DEALING WITH.
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE THERE FOR TO
HELP THEM UNDERSTAND. BACK TO THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS,
AGAIN UP HAVE THE INITIAL 7-MONTH WINDOW TO ENROLL IN
MEDICARE. IF YOU HAPPEN TO MISS THAT, AND MOST PEOPLE THAT MISS IT
MISS IT THROUGH EITHER A MISUNDERSTANDING OR THINK THEY
WILL BEAT THE SYSTEM BY WAITING UNTIL THEY NEED SERVICES.
THEN YOUR NEXT OPPORTUNITY TO ENROLL IN MEDICARE IS THE ANNUAL
ELECTION PERIOD, WHICH RUNS JANUARY THROUGH MARCH OF EVERY
YEAR. WITH YOUR BENEFITS DELAYED UNTIL BEGINNING JULY 1. IF YOU MISS YOUR
INITIAL ENROLLMENT PERIOD, IT COULD BE AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME
BEFORE YOU'RE ABLE TO ENROLL AND EVEN A LONGER PERIOD UNTIL YOUR
BENEFITS BEGIN, SO YOU COULD BE WITHOUT INSURANCE FOR AN
EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME. AND ON TOP OF THAT, THERE IS A
PENALTY INVOLVED, A FINANCIAL PENALTY. IF YOU ENROLL IN MEDICARE LATE,
AND HAD NO REASON THROUGH EMPLOYER GROUP COVERAGE TO HAVE
DELAYED IT, MEDICARE WILL ASSESS YOU A PENALTY OF 10% FOR EVERY
12 MONTH PERIOD YOU DID NOT HAVE MEDICARE AFTER YOU WERE ELIGIBLE
AND THAT PENALTY WILL APPLY FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, SO YOUR
MEDICARE PREMIUMS WILL BE INCREASED BY 10% FOR EACH
12-MONTH PERIOD. I'VE SEEN NUMBERS AS HIGH AS 60% OR 70% FOR PEOPLE
WHO DELAYED MEDICARE. THERE IS ONE EXCEPTION TO THE PENALTY AS
FAR AS BEING LIFETIME. IF YOU INCUR THAT AS A DISABLED MEDICARE
BENEFICIARY, WHEN YOU TURN 65 THEY WILL TAKE THE PENALTY AWAY. ONE
THING MEDICARE DOES IN THEIR RULES, PEOPLE WHO JOIN MEDICARE
BEFORE AGE 65, THEY RECALCULATE EVERYTHING AT AGE 65 SUPPLEMENT PLANS
ARE CALCULATED THAT WAY AND THE PENALTY GOES AWAY. SO THATS
GINA? WE HAVE A QUESTION. SHE IS GOING TO BRING YOU A
MICROPHONE.
>> GINA UPCHURCH: SO WHEN YOU SAY DELAY GETTING YOUR MEDICARE,
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT B.
>> BARRY MOWBRAY: RIGHT.
>> GINA UPCHURCH: OR ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT GOING ON SOCIAL SECURITY AND
STARTING YOU'RE A AND HAVING A CONVERSATION, I'M 65 AND SOCIAL
SECURITY DOESN'T BEGIN UNTIL 66. WHAT IF YOU DON'T GO DOWN THERE AND
EVEN TALK ABOUT A?
>> BARRY MOWBRAY: YOU WOULDN'T HAVE A AND B IN PLACE. THEY CAN
PENALIZE YOU FOR A, WHICH HAS NO PREMIUM, ALTHOUGH I'M NOT AWARE OF
THAT EVER HAPPENING. WHAT WE'RE MORE OR LESS TALKING ABOUT IS
DELAYING PART B, THE PART OF MEDICARE YOU PAY FOR.
WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT SHORTLY.