My husband passed away, and we had Medicare and health insurance through his employer. Medicare was primary. What happens to my coverage now?
Answered by 10 licensed agents
I would first check with your husbands employer and find out your options if any. In most cases the cost to carry a spouse can be expensive so you may get your coverage terminated. If this is the case you will have a SEP for loss of employer coverage and you will be able to sign up for either a Medigap plan and add a PDP for drug coverage, you can also enroll in an MAPD (Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan) or you can use Orginal Medicare and just add a PDP (Prescription Drug Plan). You generally will have 63 days to enroll after your coverage ends.
If a spouse who had Medicare and group health insurance through their employer passes away, and the surviving beneficiary was a dependent on that group health insurance, the surviving beneficiary's Medicare stays active because Medicare is individual, however, the dependent coverage under the employer group health insurance would typically end due to the employee's death. This would be considered a Qualifying Life Event and would then trigger a Special Enrollment Period for the surviving Medicare beneficiary.
Because this is a significant life event and such a difficult time, he/she would want to contact their Medicare Agent for help and guidance to find out if they could and/or should switch plans or make a change in supplemental insurance.
If your Medicare was primary and your health coverage was through your late spouse's employer, your Medicare benefits will continue. Your employer coverage may end, but you may be eligible to continue it through COBRA or survivor retiree benefits, depending on the employer's plan. Contact the employer's benefits department as soon as possible to understand your options and any important deadlines.
If you are enrolled into both Medicare Part A (which pays 80% of hospital) and Medicare Part B (which pays 80% of medical) you can simply choose a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement plan to close your coverage gap ( the remaining 20% that part A and B do not cover).
A Medicare Supplement plan will keep your Medicare Part A and B as the primary. The Medicare Supplement plans will become your secondary coverage. These plans close all or a portion of the remaining 20% costs that Medicare Part A and B do not cover.
If you choose a Medicare Advantage plan then that plan will become the primary coverage. You will still need to keep your Medicare Part A and B active to stay in the Medicare Advantage plan and they must cover everything that Medicare Part A and B cover.
I'm sorry for your loss. Your Medicare coverage will usually stay the same. But your spouse's employer plan may change or end. You may have options like COBRA or other coverage options available as well. That is why it's important to review your situation promptly to avoid a lapse in benefits.
Medicare will remain your primary insurance. If you lose the secondary insurance due to your husband's passing you will have just Medicare and just the Medicare premiums.
Often the employer will cancel the spouse's insurance effective immediately after the death of the employed spouse. They can offer you COBRA for a while. You will need to look into obtaining Medicare insurance to help cover what you are losing from the employer. Please give me a call.
Medicare will be primary, you should call the Cboc unit at social security to make sure to report cgange in insurance bemefits and get a supolemental plan in place and enroll in part d plan
