However, he must first apply for Medicare Part B and pay the initial Part B premium to get the process started, and he only may do so during the Medicare General Enrollment Period. This period is going on right now, starting January 1 through March 31, each year. The application can be safely done online at the Social Security Administration's website. The coverage will not actually start until July 1, 202In the meantime, we recommend that you contact his local Medicaid or Senior Services department to learn if his income qualifies him for short-term Medicaid coverage. .(For more details see our "FAHow ‘Undocumented' Workers Are Becoming Entitled To Social Security.") Of particular importance is an exception that applies to immigrants receiving benefits living in a country with which the U.S. has a totalization agreement. It appears that under the U.S./Mexico Totalization Agreement, all that any illegal Mexican worker must do to qualify for benefits is return to Mexico. Once a claim has been filed, the U.S. Social Security system counts all earnings, even for jobs worked without legal authorization, to determine entitlement to benefits. TSCL is particularly wary of how the 2012 presidential election may affect the status of the agreement. And, even if voters send a new president to the White House, the agreement will continue to remain pending even if no action is taken by President Obama, for the next President's consideration. .Over one million Medicare recipients in my home state of Indiana would face reductions in choice and difficulty receiving care if provider incentives are cut. Instead of reducing access to healthcare, it is time to shift focus to the big picture of improving the economy through job creation so more people are able to contribute to their own healthcare. It is not time to chip away at benefits to the men and women who built this great country. Individuals who contributed to Medicare for decades rely on that investment for their well-being. . Double check the price quote that you received by checking the difference in price between several retail walk-in pharmacies and Humana's mail-in. Sometimes the price can be very different between the two. I learned that my drug plan's mail-in pharmacy would charge me 3 for three albuterol inhalers. The small local walk-in pharmacy was still charging just 1.99 for three. Often, mail order can be less expensive than walk-in retail. Check for each separate drug. You can use the Medicare drug plan finder to help you look up your plan and learn the cost of your co-pay or co-insurance. .The Inspector General's Office recently surveyed 4 field Social Security field offices along the border with Mexico in California and Texas. Each office provided services to about 1,000 such beneficiaries every month. Personnel say the number is increasing for three reasons: .The online survey, taken by 401 participants, was conducted in June and early July 2020. Here are some key findings: .According to information from the Medicare Rights Center, a nonprofit organization that provides Medicare counseling and educational programs, when you notify a Medicare Advantage plan after the move, then your mom's Special Enrollment Period begins the month you tell her plan, plus two more full months thereafter. . How much would delaying retirement benefits after my full retirement age be worth? I turn 66 in August. .If you've received a medical bill for services that you thought were covered by your health insurance you already know what surprise medical billing is. But as a reminder, "Surprise medical billing" is a term commonly used to describe charges received by someone who has health insurance but they received care from a health care provider who is not included in their insurance coverage. This situation could arise in an emergency when the patient has no ability to select the emergency room, treating physicians, or ambulance providers. Surprise medical bills might also happen when a patient receives planned care from an in-network provider (often, a hospital or ambulatory care facility), but other treating providers brought in to participate in the patient's care are not in the same network. This can end up costing patients thousands of dollars they thought their insurance would pay.