Dear Editor:
If you are eligible for Medicare medical insurance (Part B) but haven’t signed up, you can do so now during the annual “General Enrollment Period” for Medicare, from now until March 31.
Beneficiaries with Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) who originally decided not to sign up for Medicare insurance when they first became eligible for Medicare but have changed their minds can take advantage of this three-month period. Those who had medical insurance at one time but dropped out may now enroll again.
Medicare medical insurance helps pay for doctor’s visits, out-patient hospital treatment and other medical services and supplies not covered by Medicare hospital insurance (Part A).
The cost of the medical insurance premium is $50 a month in 2001. However beneficiaries who sign up now instead of when they were originally eligible may have an additional 10 percent added to their premium for each year they could have enrolled in Part B but didn’t. If you sign up at any time during the general enrollment period, your coverage will begin July 1, 2001.
If you do not have Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) but are 65 or older and a U.S. citizen or a lawfully admitted alien who has lived in the United States for at least five years, you can sign up for medical insurance only or for hospital and medical insurance at this time. The premium for hospital insurance varies depending on the amount of time you may have worked in jobs where you paid Social Security taxes.
If you are interested in enrolling in Medicare, call Social Security’s toll free number, 1-800-772-1213, or contact your local Social Security office.
Yvonne Bryant
Social Security Manager, Jersey City