Find Senior Care (City or Zip)
Join Now Log In
B
bls0901 Asked October 2014

How to pick a Medicare provider?

I do not understand how medicare works. Company A was handling all of my mother's medical billings, I paid co-pays. Company B took over company A. All I knew was that her health insurance card changed, I did not realize that a premium was involved other than what is taken out of her SS check. Now company B says that mom owes $565 for premiums payments from the begining of this year. What are they talking about. They sent me a booklet about their insurance but I do not understand it. I want medicare part A and B and D for drug coverage. What else should I consider? Mom live in a private pay memory care home with 3 other adults.

pamstegma Oct 2014
Tough lessons, yes mail only gets forwarded about 6 months, barely time enough to notify all parties and have them enact a change. And yes you have a SS deduction PLUS the premium to her health insurance company. But her SS check should have been direct deposited somewhere? Surely they can find it !!

bls0901 Oct 2014
thank you for your input. I did not realize what they were asking when they called a week ago about the address change. So, if we owe something I certainly pay up what is due. They sent me a copy of their plan for me to decide if we will stay with them. I just thought that the amount that was deducted from mom's SS check was all that had to be paid.

ADVERTISEMENT


MaggieMarshall Oct 2014
Be sure you stay on top of her supplement, Bis0901. If it actually lapsed and they DIDN'T allow you to reinstate it, she'd have to obtain a new supplement and would have to go through standard insurance company underwriting.

You do NOT want that to happen. It is encouraging they're letting you pay past premiums to catch up. They are actually doing you quite a favor.

bls0901 Oct 2014
When my mother's SS# was stolen and her address changed in Feb. her medicare paperwork was changed also. I didn't realize that all of this was tied together so I assume that her insurance info went to the thief's address. I am still trying to get SS to keep the changes that I made to the account when I became the payee. We were under the assumption that her mail was not being forwarded anymore but they could not tell me anything and didn't until Aug when I became "payee". It is such a mess, my mother is still out $10,000 so far this year from SS. Dept of Treasury has to determine where the money went and then they will pay my mother back. I am not that savvy about this stuff, and trying to understand it all is hard.

pamstegma Oct 2014
They send billing statements every month. How did they get lost? Talk to the people at the home about her mail. You should know that the premiums for 2015 have tripled in some cases. Call your county office of the aging for advice.

ADVERTISEMENT

Ask a Question

Subscribe to
Our Newsletter