How to Enroll when the New Medicare is in the Mail

[Spud]

How can you complete enrollment when the new Medicare card (one with the start date on part b) is still being processed by soc/sec (or in the mail)?
I have a couple of clients that retired recently (past 65) and want to enroll in a Medigap and PDP plan...they have applied for their new Medicare card requesting a Part B start date and it has been between 2 and 3 weeks since. I recall there was a way to get this done, but am not sure of the process. Is it just calling Medicare, explain the situation and confirming their new number/part b start date?

 

[kstein]

Just send in the app with the proposed start dates. The company has approx 21 days to see it in Medicare's system. I do this consistently and it works 99% of the time.

 

[yogooglethis]

How can you complete enrollment when the new Medicare card (one with the start date on part b) is still being processed by soc/sec (or in the mail)?
I have a couple of clients that retired recently (past 65) and want to enroll in a Medigap and PDP plan...they have applied for their new Medicare card requesting a Part B start date and it has been between 2 and 3 weeks since. I recall there was a way to get this done, but am not sure of the process. Is it just calling Medicare, explain the situation and confirming their new number/part b start date?

If they have the part A card you just add the part B effective date.I have submitted many applications without seeing the Medicare card and can tell you that:

If I help someone with the special enrollment for part B and I know they actually went to the local Social Security office with the necessary forms I usually will make the appointment to take their MA application about 5 business days later and usually the part B is active by the time the carrier gets the application.Once I took an application on the 30th of the month and I gave the client the necessary form for his employer to sign telling him he needed to get his employer to sign it then get to the Social security office on the 31st if he wanted to have the MA drug coverage in effect for the 1st of the next month and lo and behold his Medicare part B showed up in the system in 2 days and was approved in 3 days.


If someone in their IEP wasn't automatically enrolled in part B because they are not collecting SS I tell them I will enroll them in part B on SS.gov when we meet for the appointment .I will submit the application the same day because the part B is usually active within 72 hours


If someone tells me they mailed the forms for a SEP for part B to the local SS I either postpone the appointment or meet with them and leave a filled out paper application with them to mail to me when they get notified their part B is active because I have seen it take well over a month when its mailed in to be processed.Sometimes the delay is just because the local SS office has it in their To Do pile of papers and sometimes it's because the client didn't fill out the forms correctly.

 

[policy doctor]

I call medicare from their home to verify their Part A and Part B effective dates.

If you're not in their home, do a 3-way conference call: You, client and Medicare.

And sometimes, if client says it will start next month, I just write it as such.

 

[yorkriver1]

Both PDP and MedSupp carriers I asked last week about my client who applied but didn't have the card with Part B yet were very casual about, sure, just send it in. So I did. One, the med/supp e-app, was issued instantly, the other will be fine. I actually shut down the process at the 1st appt, because I didn't know to do what you all said above, and I thought he already had his card with B. It all worked out, but now I know more about the timing. Thanks!

 

[vic120]

Just send in the app with the proposed start dates. The company has approx 21 days to see it in Medicare's system. I do this consistently and it works 99% of the time.

Agreed

The big thing is the paperwork is in.
Most times the system will work any problems.
If they are any issues you will see in the pending and you can fix without other agents getting in the way.

I've never lost a deal sending it in that way

I have however lost deals waiting for the part B to come in the mail
When I was more green

 

[TwoCents]

I call medicare from their home to verify their Part A and Part B effective dates.

If you're not in their home, do a 3-way conference call: You, client and Medicare.

And sometimes, if client says it will start next month, I just write it as such.

Why not get the Part D date as well? It might not be on the card, but it's a thing.

 

[goillini52]

Why not get the Part D date as well? It might not be on the card, but it's a thing.

Thanks for making my day.

 

[bluediamond]

They usually receive a letter from Medicare a couple of weeks before their card and their number is in the upper right hand corner. I never enroll anyone unless I see that letter or a card, got stuck a few years back by someone under 65 drawing social from a deceased spouse and also drawing disability, when he received his card the letter was changed.

 

[TwoCents]

Thanks for making my day.

I don't understand the response. Without that Part D date it can be argued that no agent can really know when to use the IEP/ICEP election. That date can really clarify the election that should be used particularly in a situation when the person has delayed the Part B from the start of Part A/D.