I am retired and 70 years of age. My younger wife still works and has exceptional health insurance from the hospital she works at and I am her dependent.

In Feb 2021 I went to ER and was in the hospital a week because I had a bunch of diagnostics and tests including MRI and scope down my throat to look at things, then treated for pancreatitis caused by gall stones blocking common duct, my gall bladder removed, and extended stay with a lot of IV antibiotics to make sure pancreatitis was resolved.

I got a bunch of EOBs from my hospital and a final one saying I owed $750 per insurance plan but never a bill? I went back for colonoscopy this Februarly and at registration I told them "hey I never got a hospital bill from you guys for my Feb 2021 stay". The lady looked at my records and just kind of looked puzzled yet here I am six months later and still not bill while they have billed me for other minor stuff.

So I am wondering if they went and billed Medicare Part A for the $750? I have not received any mail or such from Medicare though? I guess I could try and logon to my Medicare portal, something I have never done yet though.

Any thoughts on this by anyone??

Thanks

This message has been edited. Last edited by: grumpy1,

No expert here but I signed up for part A while still having excellent coverage. My health insurance through my employer is now considered secondary for hospitalization. They will pick up what Medicare doesn't. Not sure what your wife's insurance will do.

do you just have part "a"?

here are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.
Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.
Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).
Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

In your case, the primary coverage was private insurance for your HOSPITAL bill. Medicare A is secondary in this case and should pay the remainder of the HOSPITAL bill.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
In your case, the primary coverage was private insurance for your HOSPITAL bill. Medicare A is secondary in this case and should pay the remainder of the HOSPITAL bill.

Thanks, much appreciated!

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:
do you just have part "a"?

here are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.
Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.
Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).
Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Yes thanks, just part A as long as I am still covered by her insurance. Her insurance meets the requirements so that I won't have to pay penalty increases when I do go totally onto Medicare for A,B, and D. At that time we will probably go with a BCBS supplemental PPO type plan but that should be a few years yet.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:
do you just have part "a"?

here are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.
Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.
Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).
Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Yes thanks, just part A as long as I am still covered by her insurance. Her insurance meets the requirements so that I won't have to pay penalty increases when I do go totally onto Medicare for A,B, and D. At that time we will probably go with a BCBS supplemental PPO type plan but that will be a few years yet.

thanks, just wondered.

at 70, when the full medicare?
fwiw: you will pay a huge penalty for all the years with just part "a".

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:
do you just have part "a"?

here are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.
Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.
Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).
Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Yes thanks, just part A as long as I am still covered by her insurance. Her insurance meets the requirements so that I won't have to pay penalty increases when I do go totally onto Medicare for A,B, and D. At that time we will probably go with a BCBS supplemental PPO type plan but that will be a few years yet.

thanks, just wondered.

at 70, when the full medicare?
fwiw: you will pay a huge penalty for all the years with just part "a".

We got email from her plan stating that it met the qualifications so that there will not be any penalties.

I think the reason for the penalties is Medicare is trying to prevent those who have no qualified private insurance from gaming the system and not wanting to pay the premiums for B and D until they get sick enough to need it. Kind of like signing up for auto insurance right after one totals their car in an accident.

quote:

Originally posted by ZSMICHAEL:
In your case, the primary coverage was private insurance for your HOSPITAL bill. Medicare A is secondary in this case and should pay the remainder of the HOSPITAL bill.

Thank you for that! I just went and read my policy and I had it 100% backwards in my earlier post.

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:
do you just have part "a"?

here are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.
Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.
Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).
Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Yes thanks, just part A as long as I am still covered by her insurance. Her insurance meets the requirements so that I won't have to pay penalty increases when I do go totally onto Medicare for A,B, and D. At that time we will probably go with a BCBS supplemental PPO type plan but that will be a few years yet.

thanks, just wondered.

at 70, when the full medicare?
fwiw: you will pay a huge penalty for all the years with just part "a".

We got email from her plan stating that it met the qualifications so that there will not be any penalties.

I think the reason for the penalties is Medicare is trying to prevent those who have no qualified private insurance from gaming the system and not wanting to pay the premiums for B and D until they get sick enough to need it. Kind of like signing up for auto insurance right after one totals their car in an accident.

i realize you meet the aca requirements, i meant a penalty for adding b, c, d, etc to part a.

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:

quote:

Originally posted by grumpy1:

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:
do you just have part "a"?

here are four parts of Medicare: Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Part A provides inpatient/hospital coverage.
Part B provides outpatient/medical coverage.
Part C offers an alternate way to receive your Medicare benefits (see below for more information).
Part D provides prescription drug coverage.

Yes thanks, just part A as long as I am still covered by her insurance. Her insurance meets the requirements so that I won't have to pay penalty increases when I do go totally onto Medicare for A,B, and D. At that time we will probably go with a BCBS supplemental PPO type plan but that will be a few years yet.

thanks, just wondered.

at 70, when the full medicare?
fwiw: you will pay a huge penalty for all the years with just part "a".

We got email from her plan stating that it met the qualifications so that there will not be any penalties.

I think the reason for the penalties is Medicare is trying to prevent those who have no qualified private insurance from gaming the system and not wanting to pay the premiums for B and D until they get sick enough to need it. Kind of like signing up for auto insurance right after one totals their car in an accident.

i realize you meet the aca requirements, i meant a penalty for adding b, c, d, etc to part a.

I have creditable coverage for those for those.