On July 13th, in concert with the White House Conference on Aging, the Obama Administration announced the results of a concerted effort on the part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to improve the information available to individuals becoming eligible for Medicare.
The Medicare program has complicated rules about how other health insurance interacts with, or “coordinates” with Medicare coverage, and when someone can enroll in Parts A and B without penalty. Unfortunately, people are often unaware of these complicated rules or get bad information about how they work. As a result, they may have to pay premium penalties and may go many months, or longer, without access to Part B coverage.
The Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc., along with other national non-profit organizations through the Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO), called upon the White House Conference on Aging to use the convening as an opportunity to fill in some of these information gaps.
Today, the Obama Administration delivered on this request. Among other things, CMS and SSA have:
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Updated publications about Medicare and the text accompanying Medicare cards to emphasize the importance of enrolling in Part B when people are first eligible -
Updated frequently asked questions on Social Security’s and CMS’ websites, phone scripts, and training materials to better inform those who are newly eligible for Medicare -
Updated the Social Security Statement and the insert for people who are 55 and older to strengthen the message about when to apply for Medicare
In addition, CMS will be updating its website and the Medicare initial enrollment package, updating more Medicare publications, and adding online resources for people who are still working.
“All too often we counsel individuals who, through no fault of their own, face significant gaps in coverage and premium penalties because they misunderstood or were not adequately informed about Medicare enrollment rules, particularly as they relate to individuals with employer-based health insurance coverage,” said Judith Stein, Executive Director of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, an attendee at the White House event.
“We applaud the Obama Administration for working to improve the information upon which those approaching Medicare eligibility must rely to help ensure that they are truly making informed decisions about their Medicare coverage,” concluded Stein.
For more information on the White House Conference on Aging, see: http://www.whitehouseconferenceonaging.gov/blog.
