ArcaMax

Note: Because Toni recently received more reader queries about creating a My Social Security account after the account is blocked, we are rerunning the following column from April of 2024.

Hi Toni:

I’m turning 65 in July and not receiving my Social Security check. Last week I tried to open a “My Social Security” account to enroll in...Read more

I retired from my employer of 20 years last June when I turned 66. I enrolled in COBRA, which began July 1, instead of enrolling in Medicare because I was told that COBRA protected me from the Medicare penalty for 18 months.

My sister informed me about Medicare’s Special Enrollment Period in the Medicare & You Handbook which explained ...Read more

Toni:

I am turning 65 on April 4, working part-time, and not eligible for my employer benefits, so I need Medicare. A friend gave me confusing information about enrolling, saying that the 7-month window is only for enrolling in Medicare Part A, and I have to prove that I qualify for Medicare Part B at the same time. If that is true, then how ...Read more

I am retiring in June when I turn 70 and my wife, Bonnie, will be 68. Our Medicare issue is that recently we applied for a long-term care plan and were both denied due to our simple health issues.

I had my prostate removed due to cancer about 5 years ago with no current issues and Bonnie has A-Fib which is under control. The agent who helped...Read more

This week, I went to see my primary care doctor, and his office manager informed me that they are no longer accepting Medicare. I recently enrolled in Medicare and will have to pay the complete bill upfront and be reimbursed by Medicare. His office is a small one, and he will be retiring soon, so I need to find a new doctor. Can you please tell...Read more

Dear Toni:

I had no problem opening the “My Social Security” account to enroll in Medicare because I knew those answers. When it came to filling out the application for Medicare that was another story.

I had a problem with some of Medicare’s personal questions. I knew my name, address, date of birth, Social Security number, etc. When ...Read more

Toni:

Last week’s Medicare Part D question was from Tonya regarding discovering that she and her husband are receiving an “extra” Part D premium, which she never knew about. You advised her to contact her local Congressional office to help appeal the Medicare issue.

I now must fight Social Security because they are under the ...Read more

Dear Toni:

In December 2016, you assisted me and my husband Gary in leaving my employer’s benefits. We enrolled into Medicare Part B with a Medicare Supplement and Part D prescription drug plan that began on January 1, 2017.

The 2024 Medicare AEP is the ONLY year that we have changed from the original Medicare Part D plan that we ...Read more

Note: Due to the continued confusion on the issue, Toni is rerunning this column from May. It has been slightly updated.

Dear Toni,

I need your help regarding my parents who are in their late 80s. My mother has been disabled with Parkinson’s for the past 3 years and my father has been her caretaker, but due to his recent heart attack, he...Read more

I turned 65 in June, 2 years ago and did not enroll in Medicare because I do not have any health issues. A friend advised me to enroll in Medicare during Medicare’s Annual Enrollment Period. I received a letter stating that because I did not enroll in Medicare when I turned 65 that I have been denied Medicare.

The letter also stated that ...Read more

Dear Toni,

I am retiring in February when I turn 65 and will need to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B with a Medicare Supplement and a Part D prescription drug plan.

My husband, James, is 72 and has heart issues, so he enrolled in Medicare A and B when he turned 65 and remained on my company benefits to have his heart surgery. He is taking ...Read more

Toni:

I never should have listened to my brother who bragged about how his Medicare Advantage plan was a great way to save money and not have to spend so much on my Medicare supplement plan’s premium. I discovered that the eye doctor who was to perform surgery on my right eye in early January is not in this plan. I should have called his ...Read more

Toni,

I have Original Medicare with a Supplement and in October, I was taken by ambulance to the emergency room for heart issues. I was surprised when I signed a hospital form stating that I was “under observation,” as the doctor decided whether to admit me as an inpatient or send me home. I was lucky that he sent me home.

During this ...Read more

Toni:

In 2022, the Toni Says Medicare team enrolled me in Medicare with Medicare Supplement and Medicare Part D plan including my prescriptions that had copay only. When I looked online at Medicare.gov, I noticed that the diabetic insulin I take will no longer be covered for 2025. This change will cost $391 monthly out-of-pocket. And Ozempic,...Read more

Hello Toni:

In the new Medicare & You Handbook that I received about a month ago, I cannot find what the 2025 Medicare costs and premiums will be. I would like to know this information because I have been diagnosed with a heart condition and will need to undergo heart surgeries next year. I have looked online and cannot find the costs.

Do ...Read more

I received my new 2025 Part D premium with the plan increase going up by 250%, from $25.00 a month to over $60.00. I was informed that my diabetic insulin and one of my high blood pressure prescriptions are no longer covered beginning Jan. 1, 2025, on the Part D plan I am on.

Toni, please explain in easy-to-understand terms what I need to do...Read more

I began taking my RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions) from my 401(k) when I turned 72, and my Medicare premium in 2024 is $454.20 for Part B and $53.80 for Part D. Did taking my RMD with my Social Security check raise my Medicare premiums? My wife, Karen, was working last year and made about $250,000. Are both of our incomes used to determine...Read more

Hello Toni:

I have a few questions about enrolling in Medicare since I am turning 65 this January:

-- Will my Medicare start automatically in January since I am still working?

-- If I retire when I’m 67, do I stay on COBRA or enroll in a Medicare plan?

-- What happens if I get another job?

Friends and co-workers tell me one thing about ...Read more