ArcaMax

Toni,

My Medicare began June 1, and I received my first bill about a week ago. This bill is for 4 months from June 1 to Sept. 30 and is over $700. I thought Medicare was monthly. If I pay this amount, due on July 25, then I cannot pay my rent for August.

I was wondering if Medicare allows payments for Medicare Part B premiums to be monthly. I can’t start my Social Security check because I am not at my full retirement age, I work and make more than Social Security allows without having to pay a penalty.

--Julie, Oklahoma City

Julie:

You are correct that many Americans are paying their Medicare premiums monthly through Social Security automatically taking the premium from their Social Security check. Social Security will send a letter informing the Medicare beneficiary that it is deducting the monthly Medicare Part B premiums from their check.

But since you are not yet getting your Social Security check, Julie, search the phrase “Medicare.gov Easy Pay” online to learn how to pay your Medicare premiums monthly from your checking account; or visit www.medicare.gov where you can research many topics, including how to download and properly set up Medicare Easy Pay.

For readers who do not have access to a computer, call 800-MEDICARE (633-4227) and request the “Medicare Easy Pay” form to be sent to you by mail. Another option is to talk with a family member or friend who has access to a computer and ask them to assist you in downloading the Medicare Easy Pay form.

It may take about 6-8 weeks for the “Medicare Easy Pay” form to be processed. You should make sure that you keep up with your monthly premiums, so your Medicare Parts A and B are not terminated. Until the Easy Pay form is activated, a simple way to pay either a monthly premium or your whole Medicare premium bill by credit card is by visiting www.Medicare.com and creating a Medicare account.

When creating a Medicare account, you must have applied for Medicare and have your Medicare number to open your account. On your Medicare account is your Medicare information such as:

-- What Medicare Part D prescription drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan you are enrolled in

-- What your Medicare Part A and B enrollment dates are

-- What you can view, such as paying your Medicare premium, Medicare claims, printing your Medicare card, and much more

Also visit https://www.medicare.gov/my/premiums/make-a-payment after opening your www.medicare.gov account.

Julie, I would advise you and everyone on Medicare to stay current with your Medicare premium. By not staying current, Medicare beneficiaries can lose their benefits and may be charged a penalty when they re-enroll.

Medicare Part D prescription drug premiums are not available via the Medicare site but are managed by the Medicare Part D prescription drug company. Beneficiaries can pay their Medicare prescription drug premium directly to the prescription drug company either by check or credit card.

Like Julie, many people do not realize that they can pay their Part B premiums monthly when not receiving their Social Security check by following the rules set up by Medicare. Take your time and study this Medicare rule. Visit www.medicare.gov to open a Medicare account.

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Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. For a Medicare checkup, call the Toni Says call center at (832) 519-8664 or email info@tonisays.com regarding your Medicare plans and options. Toni Says Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition is available at www.tonisays.com. Toni’s Medicare Moments articles have just been released: https://familytalktoday.com/medicare-moments.

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