Deadline to sign up for Medicare Part B nears

Deadline to sign up for Medicare Part B nears

YOUNGSTOWN — Anyone who didn’t sign up for Medicare Part B medical insurance when they first became eligible for Medicare can still apply, but time is running out.

The deadline for applying is March 31. Anyone who misses the deadline will have to wait until 2009 to apply.

Medicare Part B covers some medical expenses not covered by Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), such as doctor’s fees, outpatient hospital visits and other medical supplies and services that are not covered by Medicare Part A.

When people first become eligible for hospital insurance (Part A), they have a seven-month period (their initial enrollment period) in which to sign up for medical insurance (Part B).

After that, they have to pay a higher premium, unless they are covered through an employer’s group health plan or a group health plan based on a spouse’s employment.

Eligible people are given another opportunity to enroll in Part B during the general enrollment period, from Jan. 1 to March 31 each year. But for each 12-month period that a person is eligible for Medicare Part B and does not sign up, the amount of their monthly premium increases by 10 percent.

For more on Medicare, read Medicare (SSA Publication No. 05-10043) at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10043.html. People may call (800) 772-1213, TTY 1(800) 325-0778, to ask for a copy, or visit the Medicare Web site at www.medicare.gov. You may also call Medicare at (800) 633-4227, TTY 1(877) 486-2048.