Community Chat

[Still Raining]

@SilleeMee 

Ah well, figured I couldn't know more than you 😂

Back when I did all this, I defaulted to automatic.  I can't get an ebill for my property tax either.  Drives me crazy.

I did learn the hard way that once the EMTs take you away, the bills still need doing.  

Good luck with the phone tree.

[Mindy D]

A reminder of ways to save on the Part B premiums from medicare.  gov

Medicare Savings Programs

You can get help from your state paying your Medicare premiums. In some cases, Medicare Savings Programs may also pay Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments if you meet certain conditions. These conditions are listed below under "How do I apply for Medicare Savings Programs?"

4 kinds of Medicare Savings Programs

Select a program name below for details about each Medicare Savings Program. If you have income from working, you still may qualify for these 4 programs even if your income is higher than the income limits listed for each program.

expandQualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) ProgramQMB income & resource limits in 2020:

Individual monthly income limit*

$1,084

Married couple monthly income limit*

$1,457

*Limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii. If you have income from working, you may qualify for benefits even if your income is higher than the limits listed.

Individual resource limit

$7,860

Married couple resource limit

$11,800

Program helps pay for:

• Part A premiums
• Part B premiums
• Deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments

Note

 If you’re eligible, the QMB Program helps pay for Part A and/or Part B premiums. Medicare providers aren’t allowed to bill you for services and items Medicare covers, including deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments, except outpatient prescription drugs. Pharmacists may charge you up to a limited amount (no more than $3.90 in 2020) for prescription drugs covered by Medicare Part D.

If you get a bill for these charges, tell your provider or the debt collector that you’re in the QMB Program and can’t be charged for Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments. If you’ve already made payments on a bill for services and items Medicare covers, you have the right to a refund. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you should also contact the plan to ask them to stop the charges.

expandSpecified Low-Income Medicare Beneficiary (SLMB) Program

The SLMB Program is a state program that helps pay Part B premiums for people who have Part A and limited income and resources.

SLMB income & resource limits in 2020: Individual monthly income limit*

$1,296

Married couple monthly income limit*

$1,744

*Limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii. If you have income from working, you may qualify for benefits even if your income is higher than the limits listed.

Individual resource limit

$7,860

Married couple resource limit

$11,800

Program helps pay for:

Part B premiums only

expandQualifying Individual (QI) Program

The QI Program is a state program that helps pay Part B premiums for people who have Part A and limited income and resources. You must apply every year for QI benefits. QI applications are granted on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to people who got QI benefits the previous year. (You can't get QI benefits if you qualify for Medicaid).

QI income & resource limits in 2020: Individual monthly income limit*

$1,456

Married couple monthly income limit*

$1,960

*Limits are slightly higher in Alaska and Hawaii. If you have income from working, you may qualify for benefits even if your income is higher than the limits listed.

Individual resource limit

$7,860

Married couple resource limit

$11,800

Program helps pay for:

Part B premiums only

expandQualified Disabled and Working Individuals (QDWI) Program

If you qualify for the QMB program, SLMB, or QI program, you automatically qualify to get Extra Help paying for Medicare drug coverage.

Note

These amounts may increase each year. If your income and resources are slightly higher, you should still apply.

What items are included in the Medicare Savings Program resource limits?

Countable resources include:

• Money in a checking or savings account
• Stocks
• Bonds

Countable resources don't include:

• Your home
• One car
• Burial plot
• Up to $1,500 for burial expenses if you have put that money aside
• Furniture
• Other household and personal items

How do I apply for Medicare Savings Programs?

If you answer yes to these 3 questions, call your State Medicaid Program to see if you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program in your state:

1. Do you have, or are you eligible for, Part A?
2. Is your income for 2020 at, or below, the income limits listed for any of the programs above?
3. Do you have limited resources, below the limits above?

It's important to call or fill out an application if you think you could qualify for savings—even if your income or resources are higher than the amounts listed here.

[Mindy D]

@SilleeMee @here's your answer, sort of. If you do this you won't get a paper bill anymore but you will get a paper statement. 

Medicare Easy Pay

Medicare Easy Pay is a free, electronic payment option that lets you have Medicare premium payments automatically deducted from a savings or checking account each month.

Who can sign up for Medicare Easy Pay?

Anyone who gets a bill for their Medicare premiums from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) can sign up for Easy Pay at any time.

expandI get a bill from the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB)

How do I sign up for Medicare Easy Pay?

Fill out the Authorization Agreement for Pre-authorized Payments form (SF-5510) as a PDF in English or HTML in English. You can also get the SF-5510 as a PDF form in Spanish or HMTL form in Spanish. Mail your completed SF-5510 to:

Medicare Premium Collection Center
PO Box 979098
St. Louis, MO  63197-9000

What happens once I sign up?

It can take 6-8 weeks to process your form after we get it. If we can’t process your form, we’ll return your form to you with a letter explaining why.

After your form is processed, two things will happen each month:

1. You’ll get a "Medicare Premium Bill" [PDF, 209 KB] stating “This is not a bill” letting you know that the premium will be deducted from your bank account.
2. We’ll deduct your premium from your bank account usually on the 20th of the month. It will appear on your bank statement as an "Automated Clearing House (ACH)" transaction.

We’ll try to only deduct your premium once each month. If your bank rejects or returns your premium deduction, we’ll send you a letter with instructions on how to make a direct payment to Medicare.  

Do I need to do anything when my premium amount changes?

No, we'll automatically deduct the new premium amount from your bank account.

What if I want to change bank accounts or stop Medicare Easy Pay?

Complete another Authorization Agreement for Pre-authorized Payments form [PDF, 117 KB] (SF-5510), and let us know the type of change you want to make. Mail the completed form to the Medicare Premium Collection Center address above.

[Caffeina]

@SilleeMee 

I also receive paper bills. I pay with my Discover card so I can earn cash back rewards. My sister retired from CMS. I sent her a text to ask if she knows why there's no paperless billing option. If she has an answer I'll let you know.

[SilleeMee]

Thanks @Mindy D . As I mentioned earlier, I don't want the premium to be automatically debited from my bank account. I want to eliminate the paper bill and not change the methods of payment I have as an option there. I have a hunch that MC's electronic system is antiquated and not capable of doing ebilling....just a guess. 

[Mindy D]

@SilleeMee    Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs)

If you have limited income and resources, you can get help from your state paying some or all of your Medicare premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance. Learn more about Medicare Savings Programs (MSPs)opens a new tab.

Choose a state to view the state's MSP website

Scroll Left arrow icon and Right arrow icon on the table to view all data.

Table of each state's Medicare Savings Program website

Alabama's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Indiana's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Nevada's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	South Carolina's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Alaska's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Iowa's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	New Hampshire's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	South Dakota's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
American Samoa's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Kansas's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	New Jersey's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Tennessee's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Arizona's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Kentucky's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	New Mexico's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Texas's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Arkansas's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Louisiana's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	New York's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Utah's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
California's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Maine's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	North Carolina's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Vermont's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Colorado's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Maryland's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	North Dakota's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Virgin Islands's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Connecticut's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Massachusetts's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Northern Mariana Islands's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Virginia's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Delaware's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Michigan's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Ohio's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Washington's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Florida's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Minnesota's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Oklahoma's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Washington D.C.'s MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Georgia's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Mississippi's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Oregon's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	West Virginia's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Hawaii's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Missouri's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Pennsylvania's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Wisconsin's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Idaho's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Montana's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Puerto Rico's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Wyoming's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab
Illinois's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Nebraska's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab	Rhode Island's MSP websiteopens a new tabNew Window iconopens a new tab

[SilleeMee]

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@Caffeina wrote:

@SilleeMee 

I also receive paper bills. I pay with my Discover card so I can earn cash back rewards. My sister retired from CMS. I sent her a text to ask if she knows why there's no paperless billing option. If she has an answer I'll let you know.

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@Caffeina 

Thank you so much! That's exactly how I pay, too, so I can get the cash-back rewards.  I hope your sister has an answer. That would be great!

[BlueFinch]

@SilleeMee I have this situation with my trash collection. I set up automatic online payment.  After the first payment, I then received a paper bill a few days later, looking as though I still owed the balance.  I called them and was told there was no way to change this and to just discard the paper bills.  What a waste of time and paper. I thought online was for efficiency.  It might be the same with the Part B payment.

[SilleeMee]

@Mindy D 

My income falls above most any of the limits set for state financial assistance...I already checked that out. Thanks. One of the specialists told me that with my income level I fall into what they call 'The Gap' where my income is too high to qualify for Medicaid yet not enough to pay for health insurance w/o having to make financial sacrifices elsewhere....it's sort of a bummer.

[Mindy D]

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@SilleeMee wrote:

Thanks @Mindy D . As I mentioned earlier, I don't want the premium to be automatically debited from my bank account. I want to eliminate the paper bill and not change the methods of payment I have as an option there. I have a hunch that MC's electronic system is antiquated and not capable of doing ebilling....just a guess. 

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@SilleeMee @So far, I can't find anything that says Medicare will ebill you. Antiquated is an understatement. My niece is deaf and she was pregnant. She's had her baby.  Nothing on the entire site for pregnant SSDI recipients with questions about pregnancy coverage and other questions. Plenty of information for older recipients with other ailments. Medicare just left out all the younger beneficiaries with their needs from their website. Maybe you could set up Medicare as a payee at your bank and set that to have the bill sent to the bank automatically. Then all you have to do is look at your bank's website for the modified "ebill" and write a check to them instead of using the bank to pay them. The e records would be stored with your other bills. I know Chase can do this. I can set it up to have bills sent to them. Then I can pay the bills through Chase, but I don't have to pay them this way.