Although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) sent notice to individuals who had both marketplace plans and Medicare, it may have been too late. Therefore, CMS is allowing individuals who enrolled in Medicare Part A and had coverage through a marketplace plan to enroll in Medicare Part B without a penalty. It is also allowing individuals who dropped marketplace coverage and are paying a late enrollment penalty for Medicare Part B to reduce their penalty. To be eligible for the relief, the individual must:
- Have an initial Medicare enrollment period that began April 1, 2013 or later; or
- Have been notified of a retroactive premium-free Medicare Part A award on October 1, 2013 or later.
This offer is available for only a short time. To be eligible for the relief, individuals must request it by September 30, 2017. Individuals who are eligible should contact Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 or visit their local Social Security office and request to take advantage of the “equitable relief.”
For more information, go here: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Eligibility-and-Enrollment/Medicare-and-the-Marketplace/Downloads/Limited-Equitable-Relief-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
