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by Toni King
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Good
day, Toni:
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We
saw
your
article
about
Medicare
Part
B
enrollment
in
our
local
newspaper,
but
my
wife’s
and
my
Medicare
enrollment
situation
is
different.
We
will
both
turn
65
this
year,
me
in
June
and
Carol
in
September.
I
have
signed
up
for
Medicare
Part
A
only
and
Carol
will
enroll
for
Part
A
soon.
I
retired
when
I
turned
63
with
fantastic
retiree
benefits
for
both
me
and
my
wife.
Currently,
I
am
being
paid
as
a
1099
contract
worker,
so
I
do
not
have
health
benefits
with
the
company
where
I
am
working
part-time.
We
do
not
see
a
need
to
sign
up
for
Medicare
Part
B
because
of
our
coverage
under
a
retiree
employer
group
health
plan.
Are
we
correct
in
this
assumption
of
us
not
enrolling
in
Part
B?
Neither
the
HR
department
nor
Medicare
can
give
us
a
straight
answer
we
need
guidance.
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Please
explain
what
you
as
a
Medicare
consultant
would
recommend
that
we
do
about
applying
for
Part
B
with
retiree
benefits.
Thanks
in
advance, Toni.
—
Richard
and
Carol
from
Corsicana,
Texas
Hello
Richard
and
Carol:
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Great
Medicare
question.
I
would
advise
you
to
enroll
in
Part
B
NOW
because
both
you
and
Carol
are
in
your
Medicare
Initial
Enrollment
Period
(IEP).
Not
enrolling
in
Medicare
Part
B
can
result
in
a
Medicare
nightmare.
I
did
write
a
Medicare
article
recently
about
someone
who
was
self-employed,
working
as
a
“sole
proprietor”
with
individual
coverage
and
not
a
“contract
worker”
as
you
currently
are,
Richard,
but
the
same
rule
applies.
A
contract
worker’s
status
is
typically
as
an
independent
contractor
who
is
hired
to
perform
a
specific
task
or
project
under
a
contract
and
is
not
considered
an
employee
who
receives
employer
benefits.
Medicare
recognizes
“true”
employer
and
union
health
plans
for
someone
working
full-time
for
that
company
if
the
working
employee
and
non-working
spouse
are
covered.
They
may
delay
Part
B
without
receiving
the
famous
Medicare
Part
B
penalty.
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Page
19
of
the
2025
Medicare
&
You
handbook
states
that
COBRA
and
retiree
health
coverage
do
not
count
as
current
employer
coverage.
Individual
health
plans
also
are
not
considered
employer
coverage
for
those
who
are
self-employed.
Richard,
since
you
and
Carol
are
covered
by
a
retiree
employer
group
health
plan,
I
would
recommend
that
you
and
Carol
enroll
in
Medicare
during
your
IEP.
Richard,
NOW
is
yours
and
Carol’s
Medicare
IEP,
which
is
a
7-month
period
that
begins
as
you
turn
65.
You
both
have
3
months
before
turning
65,
the
month
you
turn
65
and
3
months
after
to
enroll
in
Parts
A
and
B.
Enrolling
during
your
IEP
will
prevent
you
and
Carol
from
receiving
the
Part
B
10%
penalty
for
each
12-month
period
you
could
have
had
Part
B
but
failed
to
enroll.
I
advise
anyone
who
contacts
the Toni Says Medicare
team
for
a
personalized
Medicare
consultation
to
enroll
in
Medicare
Parts
A
and
B
if
you
are
“not
working”
for
a
company
with
true
employer
benefits.
Not
working
with
qualifying
employer
insurance
benefits
is
what
Medicare
looks
for
when
it
comes
to
the
famous
Medicare
Part
B
penalty.
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Readers,
enroll
in
Medicare
the
correct
way
when
you
are
turning
65
or
after
65
and
retiring
from
your
company
because
you
do
not
get
a
second
chance.
“I
didn’t
know”
is
not
an
excuse
for
Social
Security,
which
is
the
government
agency
that
enrolls
Americans
in
Medicare
and
administers
the
Medicare
penalty!