“Some people had difficulty accessing the [Medicare] online enrollment center. Others have not had calls returned due to high call volume.”-Bill Deal, Idaho Department of Insurance
Midnight (00:00 hours) December 8 is the deadline for the elderly getting Medicare applications in, yet many are not going through. Idaho officials are reporting that phone in enrollments are overwhelming their system. For those people they will now have until December 10 to enroll.
“We’re seeing various people who delayed enrollment into Medicare for various reasons.”-Frederic Riccardi, Medicare Rights Center
And if you don’t think you need to sign up for Medicare, even though you’ve just turned 65, you’re going to pay for it later on. Medicare actually penalizes you for not signing up when you become 65 years old.
For those people who enroll in Medicare after their 65th birthday, the government will increase your Medicare premiums by 10% for each year you delay enrollment!
If you’re still a “current” employee, then you don’t need to, but the instant you lose your job you better do it. And you can’t trust Social Security officials to tell you, or even the Medicare handbook, as one man learned the hard way: “On my last day of work, I went to the Social Security office, asking for some guidance.” “I’ve never had a problem, until I tried to sign up for Medicare.” -Robert Joseph
Joseph lost his job after he turned 65. Because of bad advise from a local Texas Social Security official, and because he misinterpreted instructions in a Medicare handbook, he waited 18 months after losing his job to enroll. Now he’s paying a higher monthly premium because of those 18 months he waited!
Medicare is not ‘free’. You pay for it with the FICA (Federal Insurance Contributions Act) taxes that are taken out of your paycheck. Then you pay again when you enroll at the age of 65, in the form of Medicare insurance premiums. And guess what? You still have to pay out of your pocket for some of your medical care! Sounds like the Mob is runin’ da joint!