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That is because he had bascially agreed to the terms being part of the medicare system. Happens all the time.The doctor in a case like that should have checked really and most do get advanced approval for such services.Actually he should not have billed you has this could have jepordised his being able to treat and bill medicare patients.I was surpised how easily a doctor can be removed from medicare approval when talking to a doctor insurance office specailist.
if you went from full or part time employment to social security and Medicare and accepted Part B when you were eligible, then you should be paying the $96 a month that others have mentioned.
Of course as they give cost of living raises to social security, they'll take some of that back with higher premiums.......the sly ole government........trying to keep the spirit of give and take alive.
Now what Medicare should not allow is something they do allow. They told me point blank on the phone, that I could sign up for part B, use it, cancel it, and sign up again when I needed to use it. This was rather surprising.
So, I took them up on it. I was eligible for Medicare part B in 2008 and did not sign up until 2009, so I had a 10% penalty for that year so my premium was around $106.00. I used it for a heart stress test and a colonoscopy that I was 4 years late getting. Once those tests were over, I cancelled Part B. Now I will just have to digest the 10% penalties for every year going forward. Hopefully, nothing major happens, if it does part A is there for hospitalization. In the mean time, my out of pocket medical and drug expenses are around $900 a year and they'd be over $2000 if I paid for Medicare part B too. I need to figure a way to way to save that extra $1100 a year, so when the 10% per year penalties kick in, they will kick softer.
There are a couple of circumstances, other than penalties for late enrollment, under which the Part B premium is more than $96. First, if your income is above certain levels, as determined by your federal tax return, then the premium is more. In fact there are four or five tiers of part B premiums, depending on income; $96 is simply the lowest tier.
Second, people who enroll for the first time in Medicare in 2010 are not protected by the so-called "hold harmless" provision, under which the Part B premium cannot go up if there has been no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in Social Security benefits for that year. To be protected by that provision, you must have had the Part B premium deducted from your Soc. Sec. payment during the prior year. If not, then the lowest tier premium becomes something like $110. (I'm in a hurry and cannot look up the exact amount right now - perhaps another poster will provide it for us).
There are a couple of circumstances, other than penalties for late enrollment, under which the Part B premium is more than $96. First, if your income is above certain levels, as determined by your federal tax return, then the premium is more. In fact there are four or five tiers of part B premiums, depending on income; $96 is simply the lowest tier.
Second, people who enroll for the first time in Medicare in 2010 are not protected by the so-called "hold harmless" provision, under which the Part B premium cannot go up if there has been no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in Social Security benefits for that year. To be protected by that provision, you must have had the Part B premium deducted from your Soc. Sec. payment during the prior year. If not, then the lowest tier premium becomes something like $110. (I'm in a hurry and cannot look up the exact amount right now - perhaps another poster will provide it for us).
good info, thanks.
hopefully the cost of living adjustments resume and the premium increases can slow down.
for me to pay them the premium for the next 5 years would be a waste of money.
I'm not paying for medicare pat B now because I can not afford it, it does not pay enough of my medical expenses. My medical conditions are not covered.
I want to find a legal way to prevent them from forcing it on me at age 65. I can not afford to pay 25% of my retirement check for medicare part B.
I know this doesn't help, but all this insurance (either public or private) is just driving up the cost of health care (among other things). Am I the only one who wishes we'd just paid out of pocket for health care like most people did before WW2???? I think it would be at least 50% cheaper if we all did that without the "aid" of insurance and government programs.
I know this doesn't help, but all this insurance (either public or private) is just driving up the cost of health care (among other things). Am I the only one who wishes we'd just paid out of pocket for health care like most people did before WW2???? I think it would be at least 50% cheaper if we all did that without the "aid" of insurance and government programs.
I agree that all this paperwork can only contribute to the cost of health care, but I think your "50% cheaper" is wishful thinking. Health care itself is much more expensive than before World War II (regardless of how we pay for it) because of the expense of the technology involved. MRI's show more than x-rays (in many cases), but they cost a whole lot more, to just cite one example. Another issue is tort law. Not only does the cost of malpriactice insurance make costs go up, but the unnecessary extra tests and procedures mandated by the lawyers (not the doctors) add a lot to the cost, and this would be true regardless of how we pay for it. I, too, yearn for a simpler kind of life (it was simpler, not better in all ways, and not necessarily easier), but I think with the practice of medicine there is no road back.
I agree that all this paperwork can only contribute to the cost of health care, but I think your "50% cheaper" is wishful thinking. Health care itself is much more expensive than before World War II (regardless of how we pay for it) because of the expense of the technology involved. MRI's show more than x-rays (in many cases), but they cost a whole lot more, to just cite one example. Another issue is tort law. Not only does the cost of malpriactice insurance make costs go up, but the unnecessary extra tests and procedures mandated by the lawyers (not the doctors) add a lot to the cost, and this would be true regardless of how we pay for it. I, too, yearn for a simpler kind of life (it was simpler, not better in all ways, and not necessarily easier), but I think with the practice of medicine there is no road back.
I, personally, think that medical care is way out of bounds cost wise. Just as a for instance...I cut my hand at work one day and had to go to the ER. I was there a little over an hour, was seen by the doctor for about 5 min. (and he charged $600!!), got five stitches and the total bill was nearly $3,000! Thankfully it was covered by workmen's comp. but STILL, that is just outrageous. Realistically, a shot for pain (for the stitches), a tetnus shot and five stitches should NEVER cost that much.
There are a couple of circumstances, other than penalties for late enrollment, under which the Part B premium is more than $96. First, if your income is above certain levels, as determined by your federal tax return, then the premium is more. In fact there are four or five tiers of part B premiums, depending on income; $96 is simply the lowest tier.
Second, people who enroll for the first time in Medicare in 2010 are not protected by the so-called "hold harmless" provision, under which the Part B premium cannot go up if there has been no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) in Social Security benefits for that year. To be protected by that provision, you must have had the Part B premium deducted from your Soc. Sec. payment during the prior year. If not, then the lowest tier premium becomes something like $110. (I'm in a hurry and cannot look up the exact amount right now - perhaps another poster will provide it for us).
Well, I'm on disability and my income going forward will be under $15,000 so no income penalties for me I don't think.
I heard, and this was the reason for this thread is that at age 65 or full retirement they will require you to have part B, since the new health care plan created by the Congress is supposed to make sure all persons have insurance. If they start taking part B premium out of my check at age 65, I guess I can not fight the government. I called them and based on my birthdate, my full retirement age for benefits is not 70 but age 66.
Then I read in an article, if you fail to have insurance you will have to pay some $600 or $900 +/- some $$ as a penalty for not getting insurance. Then it said those penalties would be lower for certain lower income people.
I know this doesn't help, but all this insurance (either public or private) is just driving up the cost of health care (among other things). Am I the only one who wishes we'd just paid out of pocket for health care like most people did before WW2???? I think it would be at least 50% cheaper if we all did that without the "aid" of insurance and government programs.
Back in 2001, I had a doctor, an endocrinologist. He said he cancelled his own health insurance because he and his wife's premiums were about $6000 or $8000 (I can not remember which) a year and it was not worth it, just pay out of pocket.
I know this doesn't help, but all this insurance (either public or private) is just driving up the cost of health care (among other things). Am I the only one who wishes we'd just paid out of pocket for health care like most people did before WW2???? I think it would be at least 50% cheaper if we all did that without the "aid" of insurance and government programs.
why can Canadians and Germans and other countries offer free insurance to all citizens and we can not.
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The $96 per month Medicare Part B Premium
