Medicare

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Medicare is sometimes a separate thing, but also seems to be joined at the hip to SSA.

• There is a separate Medicare ID number.
• I have two Medicare cards, to be carried in my wallet and shown to doctors.
• But there is no online account.
• No contact info.
• No phone number.
• Some info about my medicare account is published on the mySocialSecurity website.
• Some of the medicare settings can be set on the mySocialSecurity website.

Medicare: enrolled
Part A Hospital Insurance premium: 0
Part B Medical Insurance premium: 165
Part C see Medicare for enrollment status
Part D see Medicare for enrollment status

When living abroad, a citizen may want to unenroll from Part B Medical Insurance premium.

Why?

• Because the coverage only applies to persons while inside the USA.
• If you are happy with the medical care in your foreign country of residence, and you plan to never return to the US, then there is no point in paying the premiums.
• Be aware that the price for Part B is calculated based on the income from two years previous. For the next four years I’ll be making Roth conversions, which are categorized as income, and that will increase future Part B price significantly.

Why not?

• If a person wants the option to return to the US for medical treatment, then he may want to keep the coverage.
• If a person intends to return to live in US someday, it will be costly to re-enroll in Part B.

How?

• Form CMS-1763, Request for Termination of Premium Part A, Part B.
• “To find Medicare number for form CMS-1763, sign in to your Social Security account and view your benefit verification letter.”
• “mail to local soc sec office”.
• In my case I was able to email a PDF of my form CMS-1763 to my local SSA office.