MEDICARE CORNER WAYS TO PROTECT AGAINST MEDICARE FRAUD If you are enrolled in Original Medicare a Medicare Summary Notice (MSN) will be mailed to you every three months. Examine the MSN to be sure that you received services listed. The MSN will show how the Medicare Part B deductible has been applied and what are your cost sharing responsibilities. Most doctors and health care providers usually wait for Medicare to pay before requesting you to pay the Annual Deductible. You have the right to delay paying the deductible until you receive the MSN. If your doctor or health care provider participates in Medicare or accept Medicare assignments, they must submit a claim for service. No Annual Deductible will be applied to health care providers or doctors if they fail to submit a claim for service directly to Medicare. You may be responsible for paying the amount of the deductible applied by Medicare to the doctors and health care providers who submit claims for service. Social Security, the Administrator for Medicare, is in the process of eliminating Social Security numbers from Medicare Cards. Currently your identification number listed on your Medicare Card is your Social Security number. Following are some tips on how to protect your Social Security number: • Do not carry your Medicare Card • Do not carry your Social Security Card • Do not give your Medicare number to unsolicited callers Be Savvy! Protect your identity! • AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE ACT MARKET PLACE INSURANCE • Open Enrollment for Affordable Health Care (ACA) Market Place Insurance ended January 31. Next Open Enrollment period will be October 2017. If you have private insurance, employer insurance, retirement insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or V.A. benefits, you are not required to enroll in the ACA Market Place Health Insurance. All qualified ACA Market Place Health Plans must provide 10 essential health benefits: 1. Ambulatory patient services 2. Emergency services 3. Hospitalization 4. Maternity and newborn care 5. Mental health and substance abuse disorder, including behavioral health treatment 6. Prescription drugs 7. Rehabilitation and habilitative services and devices 8. Laboratory services 9. Preventative and wellness services and chronic disease management 10. Pediatric services including vision services Eligibility requirements for ACA Market Place Insurance are: • Live in plans service area • U.S. citizen, national or legal resident • Not incarcerated Premium tax credit and financial assistance with costs is available based on income, family size and the area of the country in which an individual resides.all businesses with up to 100 employees may purchase insurance for employees through the ACA Market Place Insurance. Tax credits are available for Small Business employers. The following websites may be helpful and provide additional information on the ACA Market Place Insurance: • www.hhs.gov • www.Marketplace.cms.gov • www.HealthBenefitExchange. ny.gov Persons enrolled in ACA Market Place Insurance are not exempt from enrolling in Medicare Part B at time of eligibility. Penalty will be imposed for late Medicare Part B enrollment. You may be eligible for Equitable Relief if you delayed enrollment in Medicare Part B, because you incorrectly believed that you could continue with ACA Market Place Insurance with tax credits. For information on Equitable Relief the following website may be helpful: http://www.medicarerights.org/PartB-Enrollment-Toolkit/Equitable-Relief.pdf 20 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ March 2017
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