Capt Hank
01-07-2005, 17:35
** Many Left Out of Part B Enrollment
The 2003 Medicare Modernization Act provided for a special enrollment period for TRICARE beneficiaries who had never signed up for Medicare Part B. It also authorized a prospective waiver of late enrollment penalties for military beneficiaries who signed up for Part B in 2001 or later. The purpose was to ease penalties for previously unenrolled retirees who had to sign up for Part B to get TRICARE For Life (TFL) benefits.
Last fall, DoD sent a letter to the 68,000 TFL-eligibles not enrolled in Part B, telling them that they would need to take Part B to keep TRICARE benefits and that Medicare would be sending them a follow-up letter telling them how to enroll. However, about 30,000 of those individuals never received any letter from Medicare - and due to this system failure have not been enrolled in Part B.
For various reasons, some individuals do not wish to take Part B - because they are still covered by employer-sponsored insurance; because they get care from the VA health system; or because they are active duty family members. However, TRICARE will not pay claims for any Medicare-eligibles who were not enrolled in Part B by January 1. They will regain their TRICARE eligibility (without any late enrollment penalty) if they enroll during 2005.
They can do that by contacting their local Social Security office, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or by using the Social Security Web site at: (www.ssa.gov/legislation/).
Those who have TRICARE claims denied because they're not enrolled in Part B have two options:
*Wait until their enrollment has been processed in DoD records and then ask the provider to resubmit the claim, or
*Take their Medicare card to their local military personnel ID office for assistance, or contact the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO) at 1-800-538-9552. The location of the nearest military personnel office can be found at: (http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home).
For additional information, visit the TRICARE website (www.tricare.osd.mil) or contact TRICARE's Medicare eligible claim processor at: 1-866-773-0404.
Individuals having problems getting the Part B penalties waived should contact the local Social Security office or call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.
The 2003 Medicare Modernization Act provided for a special enrollment period for TRICARE beneficiaries who had never signed up for Medicare Part B. It also authorized a prospective waiver of late enrollment penalties for military beneficiaries who signed up for Part B in 2001 or later. The purpose was to ease penalties for previously unenrolled retirees who had to sign up for Part B to get TRICARE For Life (TFL) benefits.
Last fall, DoD sent a letter to the 68,000 TFL-eligibles not enrolled in Part B, telling them that they would need to take Part B to keep TRICARE benefits and that Medicare would be sending them a follow-up letter telling them how to enroll. However, about 30,000 of those individuals never received any letter from Medicare - and due to this system failure have not been enrolled in Part B.
For various reasons, some individuals do not wish to take Part B - because they are still covered by employer-sponsored insurance; because they get care from the VA health system; or because they are active duty family members. However, TRICARE will not pay claims for any Medicare-eligibles who were not enrolled in Part B by January 1. They will regain their TRICARE eligibility (without any late enrollment penalty) if they enroll during 2005.
They can do that by contacting their local Social Security office, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or by using the Social Security Web site at: (www.ssa.gov/legislation/).
Those who have TRICARE claims denied because they're not enrolled in Part B have two options:
*Wait until their enrollment has been processed in DoD records and then ask the provider to resubmit the claim, or
*Take their Medicare card to their local military personnel ID office for assistance, or contact the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO) at 1-800-538-9552. The location of the nearest military personnel office can be found at: (http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home).
For additional information, visit the TRICARE website (www.tricare.osd.mil) or contact TRICARE's Medicare eligible claim processor at: 1-866-773-0404.
Individuals having problems getting the Part B penalties waived should contact the local Social Security office or call the SSA at 1-800-772-1213.