(Us)Medicare. How To Stop Premiums Deduction.can It Be Done?

[Call me bubba]

If your currently paying the US MEDICARE premium, :th_interesting:

can you stop paying on the Part A? Part B?

what are the requirements,what is needed to do ?

can this be done in the Philippines ? and where?

is their a "penalty" if you need to restart or rejoin Medicare?

what are the PROS? CONS?

of stopping the Part A or B deduction?

the extra $$$ usd i know would be helpful to our local support funds

or used to purchase a Quality health insurance policy( or add$$ to the back-up plan)

...................................................................................................................................................

On something i really dont know much about, :omg:

I am starting this topic

as i have read many FM have US MEDICARE but living here they cant use it at all.

what I have read somewhere in the medicare rules..etc..that it can be done,,,

(since then I cant find the URL/link to this info)

i decided to start this topic. :th_goodidea:

[Okieboy]

There is a Social Security office in the American Embassy in Manila, i think you can do any thing there you can in the states, you don't pay for part A just part B you would have to go there, alto they have agents working there so maybe they go to the consulate in Cebu also you can go to their web site at the Embassy and find out

[MikeeW]

Okieboy has the best advice. Contact them at the US embassy. Not sure, but I think they even have email addresses which will work. I would also advise reading about this at the SSA website. I do recall that there was a lot of useful info there explaining the options. I think SSA medicare premiums for part B can be stopped by making a written request. Once stopped, they remain stopped unless you opt to restore the coverage. At the time of restoration, there is a penalty which amounts to some percentage of the premium being increased based upon the duration. In effect, it is not like some other federal benefits which stop forever, when stopped.

[MikeB]

You can call Social Security at the embassy at 632 301 2000. I have called several times for various things and found them to be helpful so far. One thing I noticed is that since I transferred my address to the Philippines I can no longer use the official SS govt web site, everything has to be done through the Manila office.

[Jake]

You can call Social Security at the embassy at 632 301 2000. I have called several times for various things and found them to be helpful so far. One thing I noticed is that since I transferred my address to the Philippines I can no longer use the official SS govt web site, everything has to be done through the Manila office.

Thank you Mike for setting me at ease. I was afraid that my SS retirement payments would be affected

if my permanent address is registered in PI. I've been using the US Treasury's own direct deposit system

called Direct Express Master Card. Now, I need to verify if this Master Card can be used in the Philippines.

Respectfully -- Jake

[JJReyes]

There is a need to differentiate between Social Security and the Medicare Insurance program.

Your Society Security is portable. Payments can be sent anywhere in the world except Cuba and North Korea. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York negotiated an agreement with central banks all over the world that there would be no fees charged for the electronic transfer of your monthly benefit to a local bank account. There is a charge when you convert your money from dollars to the local currency.

Medicare A is yours for the remainder of your life. Medicare A is for hospitalization. It is an 80/20 co-payment systems. The rules are very complex, but if you have no other forms of insurance, your minimum co-pay is about $1,350 per hospitalization.

Medicare B pays for visits to your doctor. Because the per-visit compensation paid is very low, many doctors no longer accept retirees with Medicare B.

Medicare C is supplementary private insurance for seniors for doctor visits, physical therapy, etc. and other non-hospitalization medical needs.

Medicare D is supplementary private insurance for prescription medication. It is an 80/20 co-payment system.

Medicare B premiums increased 5% for 2013 to just under $105 a month.

Medicare C & D premiums increased 10.5% for 2013 to $143 a month. This is for Kaiser Permanente Hawaii Region. The premiums for United Healthcare Insurance Company endorsed by AARP are different.

As mentioned earlier, you can cancel Medicare B coverage at anytime, but there is a penalty to rejoin later. If you are residing in the Philippines, why pay about $250 a month for Medicare B, C & D when there are no benefits?

Most military retirees qualify for TriCare Insurance. This insurance program is portable. Certain clinics and hospitals in the Philippines are authorized to provide medical services and file for reimbursement.

Strategy - If my wife and I move to the Philippines, we would set aside $500 a month or $6,000 a year for private pay medical services. If either of us needed complex surgery, we would fly to either Guam or Hawaii and pay the $1,350 or 20% co-payment required under Medicare A.

Aloha - J.J. Reyes

Edited December 18, 2012 by JJR

[JJReyes]

Still not eligible for Medicare. I just got my notice from Kaiser Permanente. My monthly premium went up 18% to $574.84. Ouch! That's nearly $7,000 a year plus I still have a co-payment up to $2,000 per year. Once I become Medicare eligible, the premiums for Medicare B, C & D drops to $3,000 a year, which is still very high. Looking forward to joining the Philippine healthcare system. It is cheap by comparison.

[OnMyWay]

My monthly premium went up 18% to $574.84.

I was paying about $350 a month on Cobra for my high deductible HSA plan after I quit working. I canceled it.

I went to Subic Baypoint hospital last Friday and saw a pulmonary specialist for a cough I can't get rid of. The visit was p350 and I paid about p1500 for 2 meds.

[Mike S]

When I became eligible for medicare they sent me a form that allowed me to opt out of part of it (don't remember which one .... but it is the one you have to pay a premium for) ..... I signed it and sent it back as I never intend to enter a US territory again so why should I pay for it .... I would just be contributing to more fund mismanagement by the bureaucrats ..... :thumbsup:

Edited December 26, 2012 by Mike S

[JJReyes]

When I became eligible for medicare they sent me a form that allowed me to opt out of part of it (don't remember which one .... but it is the one you have to pay a premium for)

This is Medicare B, which in 2013 will be nearly a $105 a month automatic deduction from your Social Security checks. It is suppose to pay for visits to a medical doctor, but because Medicare payments are low, medical doctors are refusing to accept Medicare patients. So you end up buying Medicare C & D from a private insurance company.