Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Applying for Medicare while gay

medicare sales pitches.jpg
A small selection of the insurance company sales pitches I have received as I approach the magic age of 65.

This is the tale of how I enrolled in Medicare while lying to the government …they made me do it -- really. Here's the story:

One of the nicer byproducts of our becoming an internet society that, when you reach three months before your 65th birthday, you can fill out an online form to sign up for Medicare. No making an appointment at the Social Security office, no finding postage stamps, just sit down at the computer and fill out a simple form. The Social Security Administration even knows how to welcome my age group. The page leads with the headline "Boldly Go Online To Apply For Medicare" and includes a video starring Patty Duke and George Takei in Star Trek uniforms.

So I tackled the form. And the process really is easy. Just five screens to fill out, asking simple stuff like Name, DOB, SS number, citizenship, enrolling in Medicare Part B only? (yes, I'm still working), etc. Until I got to "Group Health Plan Information" -- that's where it gets tricky. ...

Read the rest of the story at Time Goes By.

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