anyone here ever have work insurance and Medicare Part A at the same time?

[Skittles]

could you let me know how that works, thanks.....

[Irish_Dem]

1. I have standard medicare part A and B along with a retirement work insurance.

Is that what you mean?

Medicare is my primary and the retirement work insurance is secondary.
So the work insurance picks up the co-pays.

Not sure if this is what you are asking.

[Polly Hennessey]

11. Same for me.

[Skittles]

12. no, still working

argh

[Irish_Dem]

14. But it is the same thing, you have Medicare as primary and your work insurance as secondary?

[Skittles]

20. that's what I was trying to find out

haven't signed up for Part A yet, but I'm reading that I can use it as secondary to work insurance

[H2O Man]

26. In my experience,

it is the secondary after work insurance. I've had it since 2003, and was covered by an employer's insurance until this year.

[Deminpenn]

29. FEHB and Part A

Medicare part A covers hospitalization and your other insurance covers everything else in your specific plan. Your private insurance essentially works as Part B.

[Captain Zero]

27. You took A because it's paid for

So A is extra hospitalization added to your company insurance. If company insurance would kick you out of the hospital, the A would kick in and you could stay longer.

You did not choose part B yet because there's a premium for it and your company insurance is good enough for doctors, specialists, procedures,and probably covers you meds too. etc

Make sure when you retire, if your company insurance stops, that you have Medicare Part B switched on.

Am I right DU? CORRECT me or explain further.

[Skittles]

28. I'd add this

if you're putting money into an HSA, stop six months before signing up for Part B....because they can back-date it six months (as long at that's after your 65th birthday) and then you'd have to pay the taxes on those contributions

[Joinfortmill]

2. From Medicare

https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/working-past-65

[Tickle]

3. I do, I have Medicare part A and B

I also work and have work insurance.

I gave my PCP and my walk-ins both insurance cards and have had no medical co-payments or bills since then.

It looks like they take my Medicare first; when that doesn't pay, they use my other insurance. I hope this helps in clearing things up.

[tritsofme]

4. If you have Medicare due to age, as long as you are still actively working

for an employer with more than 20 employees, your employer provided insurance is primary over Medicare. You generally do not need to elect Part B coverage until retirement.

[sinkingfeeling]

7. Correct. I had both for 2+ years.

[EYESORE 9001]

9. That's how it is for me

I have Part B as well, which I took out during my sabbatical from the workplace while COVID was running rampant.

[Irish_Dem]

15. So if you are still working, the work insurance is primary and medicare is secondary?

So does medicare pick up the co-pays then?

[tritsofme]

17. Yes, work insurance is primary, for your spouse as well if they are covered by your plan.

And do not have coverage from their own active employment.

Medicare will pay secondary in some circumstances, it’s usually not a large amount.

[Irish_Dem]

18. It is great the other way around, Medicare primary and private (retired) work insurance secondary.

Since retirement, I don't have co-pays and rarely pay anything for medical care.
Thank God because I have had to have some expensive care.

Prescriptions are another story.

[dflprincess]

5. I do

I have for several years now. Part A only covers inpatient and I haven't been in a hospital. As I understand it, if I were admitted, Medicare would pick up their share and my private insurance would cover what Medicare didn't (assuming the costs were items it normally pays for).

To be clear, I only have Part A. One reason I keep working is my employer's insurance is too good to give up.

[Boomerproud]

31. Same here. Part A automatically comes with SS.

Haven't had to use it yet .

[dflprincess]

37. I haven't signed up for SS yet

Waiting until I'm 70 (which is coning fast)

A person can sign up for just Medicare at 65 and put SS off.

[TreasonousBastard]

8. Not quite what you asked, but the VA is my primary insurance and...

I signed up for Medicare A and B because it's sorta cheap and covers areas the VA doesn't, or does badly

[friend of a friend]

10. I guess I'm lucky to be 100% service-connected SMC L disabled.

The VA does everything for me and has been doing it since 1995. Since then I have not paid anything. I have never had Medicare because I don't need it. My wife does have Medicare and CHAMPVA so it only costs her about $300 a year for deductible and she gets free meds by mail. The problem with the VA is that Congress refuses to give them enough money to hire all the medical people that they need which causes some areas to have bad VA healthcare and other areas to have great VA healthcare.

[Skittles]

13. I'm a veteran but....

no disability or combat duty or anything so not sure about VA, I've just always used work health insurance

[bluesbassman]

16. Vet too, and I have VA, but signed for Medicare this year.

If you’re working and have company covered insurance you don’t have to sign up for Part B, you can at a later time when you are no longer covered by your employer. If you’re turning 65 though, you should sign up for Part A. It costs you nothing to have it.

[Skittles]

19. I'll do that

thanks

[Liberal In Texas]

21. As soon as your eligible for Medicare, the insurance company will

(almost always, never heard of anything different) convert your company provided to secondary insurance. They will now be supplemental insurance picking up what Medicare A and B don't.

Insurance companies really don't want to pay the full rate anymore insuring people if they can be insured through Medicare. You will still pay company insurance premiums, but probably at a greatly reduced rate.

And please don't sign up for Advantage. It's a scam.

[Skittles]

23. no way in hell would I fall for the "Advantage" scam

I had been wondering though why my work insurance was inquiring about my Medicare status.....

[Ms. Toad]

25. That's how insurance works when you have more than one (whether Medicare - .

or a spouse's insurance.) The primary (work) needs Medicare status so they can coordinate payments. Work insurance pays first. Likely there won't be any additional pick-up by Medicare.

[Liberal In Texas]

30. I don't think so. Medicare becomes the primary and the work insurance the supplemental.

Medicare pays first. Commercial insurance just doesn't want to be the primary if they don't have to. When for profit insurance can move an insured on the balance sheet to the column that saves money, they're going to do it.

[Ms. Toad]

38. Not correct.

If you still have work insurance, it is primary. It's not their choice who pays first.

If the employer has 20 or more employees, then the group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second.
If the group health plan didn't pay all of your bill, the doctor or health care provider should send the bill to Medicare for secondary payment. You may have to pay any costs Medicare or the group health plan doesn't cover.

Employers with 20 or more employees must offer current employees 65 and older the same health benefits under the same conditions that they offer employees under 65. If the employer offers coverage to spouses, it must offer the same coverage to spouses 65 and older that they offer to spouses under 65.

https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/how-medicare-works-with-other-insurance

(My spouse has been over 65 and was on my work insurance and Medicare Part A for 4 years until I retired.)

[Sgent]

34. Depends on the size of the employer

MC is secondary to active employee insurance (not retiree) if the employer has > 20 employees.

[sl8]

22. From Medicare.gov:

https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/how-medicare-works-with-other-insurance

[...]

I have Medicare and:

I'm 65 or older and have group health plan coverage based on my or my spouse's current employment status.

If the employer has 20 or more employees, then the group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second.
If the group health plan didn't pay all of your bill, the doctor or health care provider should send the bill to Medicare for secondary payment. You may have to pay any costs Medicare or the group health plan doesn't cover.

Employers with 20 or more employees must offer current employees 65 and older the same health benefits under the same conditions that they offer employees under 65. If the employer offers coverage to spouses, it must offer the same coverage to spouses 65 and older that they offer to spouses under 65.

If the employer has less than 20 employees and isn't part of a multi-employer or multiple employer group health plan, then Medicare pays first, and the group health plan pays second.

If the employer has less than 20 employees, the group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second if both of these conditions apply:
the employer is part of a multi-employer or multiple employer group health plan
at least one of the other employers has 20 or more employees

Check with your plan first and ask if it will pay first or second.

[...]

[Ms. Toad]

24. Work insurance is primary,

Medicare Part A is secondary. Your work insurance will ask you to provide Medicare info. You likely won't even notice the difference.

Signing up for Part B when you no longer have work insurance is a little bit tricky. All of the directions assume you are signing up simultaneously at age 65, so it was a bit challenging to find how to sign my spouse up when I stopped working (when she was 69).

[634-5789]

32. We have it, they use work insurance, THEN Medicare for a secondary.

[Liberal In Texas]

33. Are you sure? I would check that. Who is the "they" in your title?

Medicare is just never secondary. The work insurance will pay what Medicare doesn't. It's really pretty nice.

[634-5789]

35. My work insurance always pays before Medicare. Always. Since 2002 retirement.

[sl8]

36. Medicare.gov says otherwise:

Last edited Thu Apr 6, 2023, 08:20 AM - Edit history (1)

https://www.medicare.gov/supplements-other-insurance/how-medicare-works-with-other-insurance

[...]

I have Medicare and:

I'm 65 or older and have group health plan coverage based on my or my spouse's current employment status.

If the employer has 20 or more employees, then the group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second.
If the group health plan didn't pay all of your bill, the doctor or health care provider should send the bill to Medicare for secondary payment. You may have to pay any costs Medicare or the group health plan doesn't cover.

Employers with 20 or more employees must offer current employees 65 and older the same health benefits under the same conditions that they offer employees under 65. If the employer offers coverage to spouses, it must offer the same coverage to spouses 65 and older that they offer to spouses under 65.

If the employer has less than 20 employees and isn't part of a multi-employer or multiple employer group health plan, then Medicare pays first, and the group health plan pays second.

If the employer has less than 20 employees, the group health plan pays first, and Medicare pays second if both of these conditions apply:
the employer is part of a multi-employer or multiple employer group health plan
at least one of the other employers has 20 or more employees

Check with your plan first and ask if it will pay first or second.

[...]

[brooklynite]

39. Here's the answer:

I have work (retirement) insurance for life. When I turn 65, Medicare become my PRIMARY insurance coverage. I'm instructed not to sign up for supplemental programs. Anything Medicare A and B don't cover, my workplace insurance does.