This is really odd. I just found out that my state is paying part for my monthly Medicare health insurance premium as part of full Medicaid and Extra Help, doing this since April this year.

I had received a notice in March that I was denied full Medicaid and Extra Help, because my monthly income exceeded the allowable limits.

So, I called Medicare yesterday. Medicare said I had full Medicaid benefits and Extra Help.

Called Social Security Administration. SS said I had no Medicaid benefits nor Extra Help.

Called State Medicaid office and they said I never qualified for Medicaid or Extra Help. I told them that they were paying my monthly premiums, they said they had no record of doing this.

Called my medicare advantage health plan and they said that Medicare was paying my health insurance premium since April, 2019

Called my case worker for the state and she looked into my file and said my case was never completed, there were alot of clerical errors done and she was going to have to re-evaluate everything to figure out what is going wrong. She will call me back later on this afternoon.

Originally I wanted out of my Medicare Advantage plan because most providers and hospitals have dropped this plan and my psych doc wanted me to go into Partial Hospital for stabilization and medication change, which I was not allowed as all the hospitals in my area have dropped this particular contract.

I called Medicare to see if I qualified for a special election plan to get out of this plan. They instructed me to call my Medicare Advantage plan to get permission to get out. My Medicare Advantage plan wrote me back and told me I did not qualify for the Special Election plan and yet this plan knew I had benefits from Medicaid and Extra Help. As long as I have Extra Help, I qualify to get out of the plan thru a Special Election Process.

Now, if it comes down to the fact that the state withdraws it's monthly contribution because I do not qualify for Medicaid or Extra Help, after their re-evaluation, then I will still get the Special Election Plan because I was forced out of Extra Help. Then I can go forward with getting out of this Medicare Advantage Plan and take out a Supplemental Plan + Part D and get into Partial Hospitalization in August. I have already applied for the Supplemental Plan anyway just to get the ball rolling for August.

The remaining part that is out of my control is that I now have to go thru medical underwriting, with the new supplemental plan. If they find I have 2 or more medical issues, they will increase my monthly premium 3X which I could never afford. If that happens, I will have two choices... one to stay with my current deficient Medicare Advantage plan or go straight Medicare + Part D and pay the out of pocket 20%.

Sigh.................... I should know something this afternoon. What a can or worms.

Blue

i am so sorry what a mess.

I heard from the state case worker. She went in and re-certified me. She will mail me the letter.

She told me that I am now eligible for partial Medicaid called The Spend Down Program. I have to pay out of pocket $6,000.00 for medical care, send in the receipts to her and I will be eligible for Full Medicare for two months and then it begins all over again. I laughed, sure, no problem, lol. I only have $5.00 in my savings account.

Then I asked her if this means that Extra Help will go away and she said she doesn't know. I asked her who is paying for my medicare advantage plan premiums, per Medicare, she does not know. According to Medicare, the state is, but she said nope.

So, what I will do is to serve Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and my case worker with a certified letter notifying them what has been happening, I want to document that I notified all parties. If nothing happens and some agency continues to pay my health insurance premiums, that's on them. I am walking away. It is a mess, but I tried to straighten it out.

So, waiting now to hear from the Supplemental Plan if I am approved or not and will go forward with them, get rid of the Medicare Advantage Plan and that should end whomever is paying, fingers crossed. There is nothing else I can do.

Shrugging my shoulders at this point, shaking my head.

Blue

What a mess. I'm sorry that you are going through this. BF

Re-called all the agencies and no one can give me the correct information.

Going to leave it alone, as long as Medicare says I qualify for Extra Help and I got a written letter today from my health insurance plan verifying this, then just going to go forward. At least I have it in writing from someone.

I did my best.

Blue

that sounds really good.
bobby

Thank you Bobby ~

Blue