Surprise Medicare bill

According to the website of the Social Security Administration (SSA), the government agency did not properly deduct Medicare premium costs from some seniors’ Social Security checks earlier this year, so those seniors’ premiums did not get sent to their Medicare plans.

 If you are affected and haven’t already received a bill in the mail, you will soon. The first bill will likely be for a larger amount than usual to make up for the unpaid premiums. You may be affected if you enrolled either in a Medicare Advantage Plan or in a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan for coverage starting January 1, 2019, and you asked to have your plan premiums taken out of your Social Security payments. If you fit that description, the Medicare program advises that you contact your Medicare plan directly with any questions or concerns. If you are unsure what plan you have, the program says to check your plan card or materials. 

The Medicare program notes that the premium glitch has been corrected. The Medicare program says that if you receive a bill from your Medicare plan, the plan must offer you a grace period to repay the missed premiums. The grace period must be at least as long as the billing delay. If you need assistance the federal program notes that you can call 800-MEDICARE, or 800-633-4227.