Medicare and LTD

It takes two years to get on Medicare in the State of California.  Don’t stop until you’ve exhausted all efforts.  You are not good to anyone, including yourself if you don’t get the proper time to get healthy.  There are attorneys that fight specifically for those that need Medicare that can help support your case without money up front. Once you do get Medicare make it a goal to get off of it and get back to work. In today’s world, the age standards have changed, the average person who is 50 is actually 30. Always be honest with Medicare in all that you do.  Learn as much as you can through them, they have a very good “back to work” program.  It is a federal offense to lie about your condition and there are heavy consequences if you are found that you are medically able to work. People that take advantage of such precious aide are hurting those that so desperately need it. It is medically proven that people feel better when they are working. If you are on Medicare and you have a primary insurance, Medicare does not cover co-pays to doctor office and medical examination visits. If Medicare is  your primary and you have decided to get gap insurance remember each year you will incur a deductible that will need to be met. Primary and gap insurance are different.  Primary would be if your spouse has insurance and you were covered under their insurance it would be "primary."  Gap insurance is used to cover costs that medicare won't.  Medicare normally does not cover dental insurance, that's where a good gap insurance would come in handy.

Long Term Disability

Long Term Disability from your current employer is available.   Make an appointment with your human resources department to find out what they can do to help you.  Support may begin with FMLA (family medical leave of absence) and depending on your condition, you may able to take advantage of Long Term Disability if your condition lasts longer than 90 days. Most people don’t know this is available and while you are on long term disability you will still have your life insurance in place and some programs keep your health insurance in place until you go on Medicare. After two years, if your medical condition is the same or worse, Medicare becomes your primary insurance and your long term disability insurance is secondary.  It is very important that you understand how your insurance is billed, so that if you do have a problem with billing you understand the order of primary and secondary insurance. It will save you and your doctor’s billing department a lot of time.

Changing Your Primary Healthcare Provider

Once you become a fulltime Medicare patient with A benefits a call needs to be made to Medicare letting them know they are now the primary insurance.  The number you need to call is the Medicare Coordinator at 1-800-999-1118. After you inform the Medicare Coordinator, inform what was your primary insurance that they are now your secondary insurance.  You may get some added benefits, but you must ask. For instance with Aetna they have a program called Medicare Direct which means that Medicare is billed primary and if they don't pay the claim they automatically kick it back to Aetna.  You must at all times manage your health, doctor care and insurance.  If you don't your insurance billing will become a nightmare.