What happens if I delay Medicare Part A enrollment because I'm still on my spouse's employer plan?
Answered by 8 licensed agents
Medicare Part A is free to us if you meet the number of paid-in working units required by the Medicare statutes, over the course of your career. Suppose you are under a Medicare-qualified employee group plan at turning 65. In that case, you do not need to take out anything else, and all penalties will be waived until you leave the employee group plan sometime in the future. The Medicare Part A insurance will be utilized with your group insurance for your claims. However, if the Medicare employee group plan does not include prescription drugs, taking on a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan may be necessary to avoid penalties. Your plan needs to be evaluated by a licensed Medicare insurance agent that you trust to ensure the accuracy of your decision.
Answered by Larry Dalton on April 3, 2025
Broker Licensed in OK & TX
Nothing. As long as you are covered by your spouse's plan, enrolling in Medicare is optional. You may voluntarily enroll in Part A. It's free as long as you or your spouse has worked 10 years (40 quarters) and has been paying into Medicare.
Answered by Diane Andree on April 20, 2025
Agent Licensed in NY
Nothing. PA There are no penalties for delaying Part A or B and long as you remain on your spouse's employer plan and the company has over 20 employees. However, you have the option of evaluating to see if if makes financial sense to stay on her employer plan or explore Medicare plan options.
Answered by Timothy Brown on April 15, 2025
Broker Licensed in PA, CT, DE & 15 other states
Enrollment in Medicare Part A is automatic and there is usually no cost to you. Maybe your are thinking about Medicare Part B. As long as your spouse is actively working you could stay on that plan and DELAY MEDICARE PART B enrollment. Please speak to a licensed insurance agent to compare cost and benefits vs. Medicare enrollment with a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plans. Face to face meetings are best.
Answered by Dana Dane on April 14, 2025
Agent Licensed in OR, AZ, CA & 6 other states
Simple answer is nothing! Although I do suggest signing up for Part A and just delaying Part B, that way you are in the system and when Part B does need to be activated you have a fast turn around time!
Answered by Julie Joyce on March 25, 2025
Agent Licensed in PA, CT, DE & 9 other states
Nothing happens. However, it is to your advantage to enroll in part A because it's free
Part A is for hospitalizations so the way it would work is if you went to the hospital. Typically your employer plan pays first and then Medicare will pay next. It will reduce your hospital bill. There is no downside to signing up for part A
And you should also talk to a professional as to whether you'd be better off being on a Medicare supplement plan
Oftentimes it's cheaper. If your employer makes you pay a lot of money for your health care for having a spouse on it, it can be better coverage at a lower cost to go on a Medicare supplement plan
Answered by Gary Henderson on April 19, 2025
Agent Licensed in TX, AK, AL & 46 other states
It seems like Medicare has a penalties for their coverage whether it's A, B, D. I would recommend enrolling into part A since it is free to you and your entitled to it and your wife's employer insurance will be the primary and Part A would be the secondary if your were hospitalized. If you decide to stay on your wife's employer plan then I would recommend to delay the Part B premium but Medicare does have specifications for group coverage that must be followed to avoid the Part B penalty.
Answered by Robert Simm on April 7, 2025
Broker Licensed in NC, AL, AR & 14 other states
Part A does not usually come at a cost unless you (or your spouse) worked less than 10 years paying into Medicare. So there is no reason to delay Part A. Part B does come with a monthly premium so if you (or your spouse) are still working and they have a great plan at low cost then you ca delay joining Part B because you have credible coverage from your employer. Once you stop working then you should sign up for Part B and we can talk about plans that help with the gaps in A & B.
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Medicare Part A
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