Part B Enrollement More Trouble Than Usual?

[medsuptage]

Signing up for Medicare part B after age 65 for retirement or loss of coverage has always been kind of a hassle, but it seems over the last month it has gotten incredibly worse. I have multiple current situations where the client is trying to enroll in Medicare Part B, cannot do the online enrollment, they won't accept a face to face appointment at the local social security office and when they're calling via phone they're spending hours on the phone getting miss information and going round and round in circles.

I've always recommended to just go do a face to face appointment with social security as it seems to be the most efficient way to get it taken care of in one go. However, now apparently a lot of the offices are refusing to do face to face appointments for the Medicare part B enrollment.

Anyone else having this experience or possibly have any suggestions to actually get this completed?

 

[DS4]

Signing up for Medicare part B after age 65 for retirement or loss of coverage has always been kind of a hassle, but it seems over the last month it has gotten incredibly worse. I have multiple current situations where the client is trying to enroll in Medicare Part B, cannot do the online enrollment, they won't accept a face to face appointment at the local social security office and when they're calling via phone they're spending hours on the phone getting miss information and going round and round in circles.

I've always recommended to just go do a face to face appointment with social security as it seems to be the most efficient way to get it taken care of in one go. However, now apparently a lot of the offices are refusing to do face to face appointments for the Medicare part B enrollment.

Anyone else having this experience or possibly have any suggestions to actually get this completed?

The L564 employer form needs to be submitted to Medicare along with the usual Medicare Part B enrollment request.

 

[medsuptage]

The L564 employer form needs to be submitted to Medicare along with the usual Medicare Part B enrollment request.

Thanks for the info, I've got the employer form but the actual enrollment to medicare form apparently can only be obtained from calling them or going into the office, It's not available to download off of the CMS website.

 

[WCMason]

Thanks for the info, I've got the employer form but the actual enrollment to medicare form apparently can only be obtained from calling them or going into the office, It's not available to download off of the CMS website.

I keep a PDF of the Medicare application (CMS-40B) on my iPad, along with the Request for Employer Information form, to give to my prospects who need to enroll outside their IEP.

However, they don't really need it unless they want to mail it or drop it off at the SSA office with the RFEI form. SSA doesn't allow SEP enrollment for Part B online. For those who go in to meet with SSA they only need the completed RFEI. The SSA rep will help them complete the 40B.

I've never had a client report problems getting an appointment to enroll in Part B or walking in. Walk-ins wait longer while there, but don't have to wait weeks for the appointment. (Though I suppose waiting a couple weeks could be seen as a problem).

Here is the 40B: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/a...cation_for_enrollment_in_medicare_cms-40b.pdf

And the L564: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms/images/Other/G-CMS-L564.pdf

 

[Stephen]

I keep a PDF of the Medicare application (CMS-40B) on my iPad, along with the Request for Employer Information form, to give to my prospects who need to enroll outside their IEP.

However, they don't really need it unless they want to mail it or drop it off at the SSA office with the RFEI form. SSA doesn't allow SEP enrollment for Part B online. For those who go in to meet with SSA they only need the completed RFEI. The SSA rep will help them complete the 40B.

I've never had a client report problems getting an appointment to enroll in Part B or walking in. Walk-ins wait longer while there, but don't have to wait weeks for the appointment. (Though I suppose waiting a couple weeks could be seen as a problem).

Here is the 40B: http://photos.state.gov/libraries/a...cation_for_enrollment_in_medicare_cms-40b.pdf

And the L564: https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms/images/Other/G-CMS-L564.pdf

WC put up the forms that you need to keep in supply.

SS will tell you that the turn around time is 6 weeks, but they seem to be turning them around in less than 2 weeks right now. I always request a part B effective date in the remarks section.

I always call the HR worker that will be completing the request for employment information and tell them who you are working with ,and that they are welcome to send more your way.

 

[yogooglethis]

WC put up the forms that you need to keep in supply.

SS will tell you that the turn around time is 6 weeks, but they seem to be turning them around in less than 2 weeks right now. I always request a part B effective date in the remarks section.

I always call the HR worker that will be completing the request for employment information and tell them who you are working with ,and that they are welcome to send more your way.

That's brilliant.

I walk people through the process all the time and fax the form to HR/employer but I never thought about that marketing angle.

I would think the small companies would more receptive to let you help their Medicare age employees with this if it save money for the employee and the employer.

 

[Stephen]

That's brilliant.

I walk people through the process all the time and fax the form to HR/employer but I never thought about that marketing angle.

I would think the small companies would more receptive to let you help their Medicare age employees with this if it save money for the employee and the employer.

I prefer large employers.My approach is a smoother process for the retiring employee and and reduced workload for the HR worker vs saving money.

Mathematically, small businesses are going to have very few workers turning 65 in a given period, with that being said, if someone walked into my office this morning that worked for a small business, I would still find out as much as I could about the business, and use the request for employment form as my "in" to introduce myself.

 

[medsuptage]

I've never had a client report problems getting an appointment to enroll in Part B or walking in. Walk-ins wait longer while there, but don't have to wait weeks for the appointment. (Though I suppose waiting a couple weeks could be seen as a problem).

Thank you very much for the forms, I couldn't find the 40b form anywhere.

I've never had an issue with getting an appointment either. I normally would say it was a fluke... However I have two separate clients, on opposite ends of the country, both trying to enroll in Part B through loss of employer coverage, both are being told by SSA they don't do face to face appointments for these enrollments.

on.

I always call the HR worker that will be completing the request for employment information and tell them who you are working with ,and that they are welcome to send more your way.

I never thought of that, has it worked out well?

 

[Stephen]

Thank you very much for the forms, I couldn't find the 40b form anywhere.

I've never had an issue with getting an appointment either. I normally would say it was a fluke... However I have two separate clients, on opposite ends of the country, both trying to enroll in Part B through loss of employer coverage, both are being told by SSA they don't do face to face appointments for these enrollments.



I never thought of that, has it worked out well?

It really has, working with centers of influence is where the majority of my business comes from.

 

[SportsNut]

I have two separate clients, on opposite ends of the country, both trying to enroll in Part B through loss of employer coverage, both are being told by SSA they don't do face to face appointments for these enrollments.

It must be the Sequester...

Sequester, aka a reason or excuse for Gov't employees not to do their job.