Deadline Imminent for People in ACA Marketplace Plans to Enroll in Medicare Without Penalty
People eligible for "time-limited equitable relief," as the opportunity is called by the
* Enroll in Medicare Part B without penalty, or
* Get their Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty eliminated or reduced if they are already enrolled in Part B but delayed enrollment because they were enrolled in a Marketplace plan, also known as a Qualified Health Plan.
"The deadline is drawing near for people who are enrolled in Marketplace plans - but eligible for Medicare - to enroll in Medicare and be relieved of costly lifetime Part B penalties and gaps in health care coverage," said
"This relief opportunity has been a lifesaver for older adults and people with disabilities who were not familiar with the Marketplace and Medicare rules. Yet, most are unaware of this reprieve, and others become discouraged from pursuing it after they receive misinformation from their local
People who make Part B enrollment mistakes can only enroll in Medicare during the General Enrollment Period which runs from
Advocates, Unions, and Insurers Urge CMS to Extend the Deadline
The Medicare Rights Center along with nearly 80 other advocacy organizations and health insurers sent a letter (http://www.medicarerights.org/pdf/tler-sign-on-letter-to-cms-092018.pdf) to CMS today urging that it extend the relief period one more year, until
Individuals must contact the
In the letter, advocates and health insurers also call for CMS to develop a "permanent relief pathway" for those who made an enrollment error during the period when misinformation was widespread.
When CMS first announced the time-limited relief opportunity in early 2017, the deadline was set for
"Fortunately, CMS recognized the critical need to provide relief to older adults and people with disabilities who mistakenly enroll in Marketplace plans instead of Medicare, but we know from calls to our helpline that we are not out of the woods yet," says Baker. "The relief policy must be extended until we are certain that no one is shut out from this opportunity because they didn't know about it or received misinformation when they tried to obtain it."
For more information on time-limited equitable relief and how to apply, see Medicare Rights' online resource, Medicare Interactive, and:
* Read the Fact Sheet made available by CMS (https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Eligibility-and-Enrollment/Medicare-and-the-Marketplace/Downloads/SHIP_and_Navigators_ER_Fact_Sheet.pdf).
* Call the Medicare Rights Center's free national helpline at 1-800-333-4114
* Call the
* Contact the
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