Part B Enrollment Mistakes: One Client’s Story

[x_blockquote cite=”Sandra Durant, retired attorney who Medicare Rights helped to fix a Part B enrollment mistake” type=”left”]“Essentially, with the assistance of the Medicare Rights Center, what had been a terrible nightmare had resolved itself in a very pleasant dream. I could relax, I had coverage, and I did not have to be anxious. I cannot express deeply enough how much I appreciate the extraordinary assistance that the Medicare Rights Center gave me.”[/x_blockquote]Knowing when and how to enroll in Part B, the part of Medicare that covers outpatient services like doctor visits, can be a confusing endeavor. This was true for Sandra Durant—and, regrettably, for the Social Security employee who misinformed her about when to sign up.

Fortunately, with the assistance of the Medicare Rights Center, a national, nonprofit consumer service organization, Ms. Durant was able to sign up for Part B, avoiding a health care coverage gap and a lifetime of penalties.

At Medicare Rights, we hear from older adults and people with disabilities on our helpline every day with questions about when to sign up for Medicare Part B. We know firsthand how honest enrollment mistakes can be costly to their health and finances.

While Ms. Durant was successful in getting her Part B coverage with our assistance, the remedies are limited for people who unwittingly make Part B enrollment mistakes.

That’s why Medicare Rights brought this recurring, heartbreaking problem to our nation’s Capitol. We helped write a bill to modernize the Part B enrollment process. The bipartisan BENES Act (Beneficiary Enrollment Notification and Eligibility Simplification Act) requires that people receive a notice about when to enroll in Part B and are protected from health care coverage gaps and misinformation. Medicare Rights was instrumental in getting the bill introduced into both chambers of Congress last summer.[x_custom_headline level=”h3″ looks_like=”h4″ accent=”false”]You can help us get the BENES Act passed.[/x_custom_headline][x_gap size=”20px”][x_feature_list][x_feature_box title=”Take Action” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”#2ecc71″ align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ link_text=”Take action today.” href=”http://action.medicarerights.org/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=19442″ href_title=”” href_target=”blank” link_color=”” graphic_icon=”bullhorn”]Write to your members of Congress and urge them to co-sponsor the BENES Act and improve the Part B enrollment process for the 10,000 people aging into Medicare each day.[/x_feature_box][x_feature_box title=”Donate to Medicare Rights” title_color=”” text_color=”” graphic=”icon” graphic_size=”60px” graphic_shape=”circle” graphic_color=”#ffffff” graphic_bg_color=”#2ecc71″ align_h=”left” align_v=”top” side_graphic_spacing=”20px” max_width=”none” child=”true” connector_width=”1px” connector_style=”dashed” connector_color=”#272727″ link_text=”Donate today.” href=”https://app.mobilecause.com/vf/BENESACT” href_title=”” href_target=”” link_color=”” graphic_icon=”group”]Consider donating to help us get the BENES Act passed to assist more people like Ms. Durant.[/x_feature_box][/x_feature_list]