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Cobes is correct.
Basically, if Medicare is supposed to be your primary insurance, you need to take it or face a penalty. If you're employed by a small company that does not have a Medicare primary requirement, then you will not face the penalty. Talk to the HR department to verify the plan is set up.
Just to clarify, you're saying that if a company has less than 20 employees and does not require Medicare to be primary, there is no Part B penalty? On the other end of the spectrum, can a large company require the employee to get Part B, they don't do so, and then face a LEP after retirement?
In almost every instance when I meet with a potential client and they're still working, and I tell them to go ask HR or their benefits department if they require them to get Part B, they can never find someone that knows the answer. Even in a fairly large company that has a decent amount of employees 65+, nobody seems to know the right answer.
To further the discussion, I'm working hard this year finding good ways to automate follow-ups. What's the best way to follow up with these T65 folks you meet with that either they, or their spouse, is still working? It seems like they never retire when they plan. For example, if I meet with the T65 husband and the wife is 62, he's planning to stay on her coverage until she retires at 65. 2 things usually happen if I follow up: 1) they never pick up the phone or return my calls since they met with me almost 3 years ago, or 2) they answer and say "oh she retired a year ago."
Do you guys drip on them over these 3 years with maybe a Send Out Card every year asking if they'll be retiring soon, or possibly an automated email sent out every 6 months or so?