Abriton

I don't know where to post this on the forum so here goes! I am a 73 year old permanent resident in the US and receive Social Security and Medicare Part A. I also receive the UK Pension which is paid to me over here. I did not take Part B Medicare as I could not afford the premium at the time. I did not realise until much later that it goes up 10% each year you do not take it. It is now at $179 per month and, if I did pay it, it would leave me with hardly enough to live on after rent, utilities, etc.

I am a little over the amount where I could get help with Part B payments. A Medicare official wondered whether I could get help under the totalisation agreement on the basis that just under 2/3rds of my total pension income is from the UK and carries free healthcare. I have no other income.

Do you know of any precedent for this? Or anywhere I might get help with Part B premium?

Thank you

nun

The US/UK Totalization agreement has nothing to do with health care, it's just for US SS and UK pension payments.

Also your UK state pension does not "carry free healthcare". NHS care is only available to UK residents.

Have you considered returning to the UK? It's generally cheaper for a retired person to live there than in the UK......a large part of that being healthcare.