Do you realize more than 3 million Americans turn 65 every year? And so do many participants in ACSHIC. After many years of education service to our schools, our health plan participants are now faced with new and important health care decisions — decisions made much more difficult after retirement because they are often made them without guidance. During these people’s working lives, the school districts by which they were employed provided them with all of their needed health care guidance.

All of a sudden, our members are faced with government, school district and health plan carrier deadlines. Every day, Diana Gregorakis, ACSHIC trustees and I receive emails and phone calls concerning Medicare and retirement questions. Hopefully, the following information will be helpful.

You are typically eligible for Medicare at 65. But there are instances in which you can apply if you become disabled. If you become eligible for Social Security Disability, you may be awarded Medicare and this could be at any age: 45, 50 or 62. Please realize your disabled dependent may also be eligible for Medicare at a very early age.

Typically you will have a 180-day period from your 65th birthday to sign up for Medicare. You will have a 90-day period before your birthday and a 90-day period after your birthday. (Medicare enrollment: 866-444-4444). If you have signed up for social security before age 65, the government knows who you are and your age. You will receive your Medicare card in the mail 90 Days before your birthday. I know you are receiving a ton of junk mail at this time of year, don’t throw you Medicare Card away. If your birthday is in June, your card will be in your mailbox by March.

If your birthday is the 2nd or 31st of a month, your coverage begins the first of the month. For example, if your birthday is February 9, then your Medicare coverage will be effective February 1. If you were born on the 1st of the month your coverage effective the month prior. So a February 1 birthday makes your Medicare coverage effective January 1.

Typically for the ACSHIC members you will need to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B . You will waive Medicare Part D. Medicare Part A pays for hospital claims and is generally premium free. Medicare Part B will cost $134 a month (2017) and pays for doctors, X-rays and tests. The premium may cost more for high-income earners. Please realize everyone needs to take the correct steps to enroll for Medicare Part B or face a lifetime of a late enrollment penalty.

Medicare Part D pays for drugs, but the greater majority of our members will purchase their drug benefit through HOPS or directly from a Supplemental Insurance Carrier.

This really depends on the size of your school or company’s group size. The majority of our schools have more than 20 employees. So if you are still working over the age of 65 and work at North Hills School District, the school’s insurance will be your primary coverage and Medicare is your secondary coverage. Yes, most of you will have Medicare Part

A even if you don’t sign up. But, you are not required to sign up for Medicare at 65 and you will not have to worry about the late enrollment penalty.

Both of you will need to go to the Social Security Office and sign up for Medicare Parts A and B. You will need to do this at least two months prior to you leaving the school district employment. Social security will give you a letter that the school’s HR department will need to partially fill out for you. Once this information is completed, you and your spouse will be given Medicare Part B without any late enrollment penalties.

You are in the school’s retire coverage health care plan. You are not in an active or current employer plan. You should sign up for both Medicare Parts A and B at 65. The school’s retiree plan is secondary to Medicare Parts A and B and the school’s plan will be your supplement to Medicare.

You will have to pay a late enrollment penalty of 10% of the Medicare Part B premium for every year you should have had the coverage. The penalty will apply as long you receive Medicare Benefits. If you missed the initial enrollment period or the period after your spouse stopped working, you can only apply for Medicare in the open enrollment period January through March effective for July.