morpeth

thanks for explanation.

the penalty is it due regardless of whether you take medicare or not , as opposed to taking it and letting it lapse for a while ?

durham_lad

If you don’t take up Medicare you don’t get assessed a penalty but if you later decide to sign up then it is more expensive. This is to penalize folks who don’t have Medicare because they are healthy and decide to go without and save paying the premiums then decide to take out Medicare when they do get sick.

robin1234

Good question, I should have explained it better. You only pay a penalty if, at some time in the future, you belatedly take up Medicare Pt. B. Example; you reach age 65. You don't want to pay a premium, so just take Medicare Pt. A. After a year, you change your mind, choose to sign up to Pt. B. You have to pay regular premium plus 10% - for life. Same if you let it lapse at any time, you pay the penalty if you take it up again. It's a cumulative ten percent per year that you didn't pay for.

lansbury

Isn't the penalty on Part D as well?

Nutmegger

Definitely.

robin1234

Yes but that's a bit more peripheral than Pt. B. For instance, I have a Medicare Advantage plan, $0 premium. Medicare Advantage covers Pt. D, I believe you can't have a Pt.D plan if you have Medicare Advantage (since it would be duplicative.) So no penalty applies if no Pt. D.

Nutmegger

It may be more peripheral these days with the increase in the utilization of advantage plans, but if the drugs aren’t covered in some way, a penalty will apply.

robin1234

Well that's certainly true. When I was choosing plans two or three years ago, I had little to go on - I wasn't then, and am not now, on any medications, so I had no real life scenarios to compare. To tell the truth, since achieving Medicare age, I haven't once been to the doctor (except in England, when I had a series of appointments with doctors and practice nurses welcoming me to the practice, but they were just to take my vitals and have a chat etc.)

Nutmegger

Same with me re medications. When I tried to use the online Medicare drug plan comparison tool and entered “no drugs,” it would just stop short and tell me to try again when I was ready to enter what medication I was taking!

lansbury

Yes I have my part D cover by an Advantage plan. I wasn't sure if there was a penalty on part D if there was no cover at all, hence my question.

robin1234

Exactly, I'm not sure. If in a few years I choose to upgrade and get a Medicare supplement plan plus a pt. D, would my prior coverage with Advantage mean no penalty for not having a pt. D previously?

morpeth

What are the costs you pay for each part ?

Nutmegger

This appears to indicate that, as long as you have some kind of drug coverage, the penalty does not apply:

https://www.medicare.gov/part-d/cost...t-penalty.html

robin1234

Pt. A - $0 (Because I've worked the requisite number of years.)
Pt. B - Was about $105 per month, not sure if it still is ...
Advantage Plan - $0 (and this includes drug coverage.)

Why is my Advantage plan $0, you may ask. The reason is that I have a high out-of-pocket, whereas if I relied on "traditional Medicare" (for exactly the same premium) the bills would be assigned on a different schedule.

Thanks. I'd assumed that was the case, but wasn't sure ...

morpeth

Thanks.

So if I understand it Medicare pays the cost for an operation ? So theoretically if there was a delay in getting a necessary NHS operation I could just get it done n the states ?

So Medicare is free ( if one worked log enough in USA which I did) but also the Advantage plan IF one has a high deductible ? Why did you choose the Advantage plan over the traditional Medicare ?

Which Medicare plan part pays for Doctors consultation ?