11/03/2025
🎓 Don’t Be Like Medicare Melvin: A Quick Learning Moment
Every year, I meet people like Medicare Melvin — retirees with good intentions who miss crucial Medicare deadlines and end up paying higher premiums for life.
🧓🏽 Meet Medicare Melvin:
Melvin retired at 66, thinking he could delay Medicare “until later.” Unfortunately, his retiree plan wasn’t active employer coverage, which means his Medicare should’ve started as soon as he left work.
He didn’t enroll in Part B or Part D on time — and here’s what that means:
⚠️ Penalties:
Part B: +10% on your monthly premium for every 12 months you delay — for life.
Part D: +1% of the national base premium for each month you delay — also for life.
📅 Example:
If Melvin waited 3 years (36 months) to enroll in Part B, that’s a 30% higher premium forever.
💸 Let’s break down how quickly those penalties add up:
In 2022, the standard Part B premium was $170.10/month.
➡️ A 3-year delay = 30% penalty, bringing Melvin’s cost to about $221/month — that’s $51 more every month, for life.
In 2023, the premium dropped slightly to $164.90/month, but that same 30% delay still means about $214/month, or +$49/month forever.
Now fast-forward to 2026 (projected premium ≈ $206.50/month).
👉 The same 30% penalty would raise Melvin’s bill to around $268/month — $62 more each month, every year, for life.
And for Part D, the national base premium is projected around $38.99/month in 2026.
And for Part D, the national base premium is projected to be around $38.99/month in 2026.
⏰ Key Time Limits:
8 months after leaving active employer coverage → enroll in Part B
63 days after losing creditable drug coverage → enroll in Part D
✅ Always verify whether your employer or retiree plan counts as active coverage. Retiree or COBRA plans usually don’t.
💬 If you’re retiring soon or already have, let’s make sure your coverage is aligned — and penalty-free.
📞 888-269-4449
🌐 coveredbyacis.com
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