Be vigilant about Medicare applications

[Anonymous]

OP update.
No action or progress ever happened to the online applications we got signature verification and filed email confirmations for on February 18, 2025. (SSA says it does not see them in the system. I can get a new link and I see them and a log of when I check. So they are stuck somewhere.)

I hand carried paper applications to the SSA field office, each in its own envelope, on March 17th.

I got "enrolled" in Part B about a month later and could print a Medicare Card from the Medicare site. My real card arrived yesterday. It starts May 1 as requested.

DH is still in limbo. Called SSA April 10 and they had said he "should" be ok for May 1st. Called SSA today and was told SSA sent it to Medicare for their processing. Not lost, SSA person said no missing info. Offered hope he's getting it by May 18.

They claim it can take 60 days. That's not what it says in the website for SEPs but we are in crazytown.
So if he gets it then it's 3 months after we began for a May 1st date.

So start early, way early. If I had imagined this stress I would have applied in December and missed the chainsaws.

[Anonymous]

As my sister said to me recently, “Aren’t you glad you turned 65 and applied for Medicare LAST year?”

Yes, yes I am.

[Anonymous]

For sure. I am practically soo eee sy dal worrying about DH enrollment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The new administration is quietly doing away with Medicare, Medicaid, and SS benefits.

No it isn’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new administration is quietly doing away with Medicare, Medicaid, and SS benefits.

I'm an elder law attorney. This is 100% correct. They are trying to destroy the system by making it as difficult as possible to claim benefits.

We haven't seen the worst of it yet.

You aren’t a very good “elder law attorney” if you are endorsing this paranoia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The new administration is quietly doing away with Medicare, Medicaid, and SS benefits.

I'm an elder law attorney. This is 100% correct. They are trying to destroy the system by making it as difficult as possible to claim benefits.

We haven't seen the worst of it yet.

You aren’t a very good “elder law attorney” if you are endorsing this paranoia.

They are like an ambulance chaser. Trying to stir paranoia in hopes of getting clients.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Spouse did get enrolled. Allow plenty of time. The stuff about "30 days" was from simpler times.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My birthday is in May.

I applied for Medicare around the 16th of February. I applied online.

I received a benefits letter, followed by my Medicare card, and a couple more mailings since, including one on IRMMA.

I think the Medicare cards arrived at just about 28 days from application.

My birthday is also in May, and I applied for retirement benefits in early February. I have Medicare so I've already been vetted by SSA. My application is still in step 2 of 3, after 40+ days, when the typical time, per the website, is 30 days. I hope, and assume for now, that it's a normal SSA delay or a DOGE-incompetence-enhanced delay, rather than being intentional.

I'm this PP. Got approved for benefits with time to spare.