People With Medicare

Medicare Question of the Month

Each month, our expert showcases a Medicare question submitted by one of our readers. You may submit a question at any time and get a personal response.

June 2012 Question:

I am over age 65 and still working. I have health insurance through my job that covers me and my husband, who is also over age 65. I do not have Medicare Part D Prescription Drug coverage. Should I enroll in Part D? And, what will happen if I do not enroll in Part D?

Answer:
It is always your decision whether to join a Part D plan. If you are 65 or older and still working and do not have Part D, here is the first question you should ask yourself to help you decide if you should enroll in Part D:

• Does your job-related health insurance cover your prescription drugs?
  
  If YES: Ask your employer whether your current health insurance plan is considered “creditable” by Medicare. In other words, does the employer health insurance give you the same coverage for drugs that you would have if you were in a basic Medicare Part D plan? Your employer is required to tell you this.
  
  If your job’s health insurance plan is “creditable,” then you do not need to enroll in a Part D plan right now.
  
  If your job’s health insurance plan is not considered "creditable” coverage, you may want to consider enrolling in a Part D plan as soon as possible, so that you do not have to pay a higher penalty.
  
  If NO: If you don’t have health insurance from your employer, or your job-related health insurance does not cover prescriptions, or your employer’s insurance plan is not "creditable,” then you may have to pay a penalty to enroll in a Part D plan. The longer you wait to enroll in a Part D plan without having “creditable” coverage, the higher this penalty could be.

To learn more about your options for enrolling in Part D, get personal help in your local area.

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