Maine news, sports, weather from Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram, Portland, Maine

August 21, 2011

At age 60 it is time to study benefits

From when you turn 59 to age 70, there are several target dates for making financial decisions.

By JENNIFER BREWER Special to the Maine Sunday Telegram

Around age 60, it's time to start learning about the requirements and deadlines associated with Social Security, Medicare and retirement distributions.

The first and best approach is to consult an expert, emphasizes Deborah DiDominicus, deputy director of Southern Maine Area Agency on Aging in Portland. Especially for Medicare, "you need professional advice," she says.

That advice is available at no charge (although donations are accepted) through each Agency on Aging. The Portland branch offers as many as six "Welcome to Medicare" seminars each month, including at least one after work hours.

Even with such a generous schedule, each seminar tends to fill up, DiDominicus says, because of the large number of citizens entering their 60s. "The boomers are exploding," she adds.

Part A, which covers hospitalization, is automatically available when you turn 65, or earlier if you retire and begin receiving Social Security payments.

This is the part of Medicare that you've pre-paid through deductions from your paycheck, so that it's penalty- and premium-free, explains Carol Rancourt, Medicare educator for the Agency of Aging. Even if you have other coverage, Part A "waits in the wings," she adds.

Part B is the one you have to pay attention to, as it usually requires action on your part. In most cases, you are required to sign up at age 65.

You have a seven-month window to sign up without penalty: from three months before to three months after your 65th birthday. If you miss that window, you'll pay an extra 10 percent on your premiums, for the rest of your life, says Rancourt.

Since Part B does come with a monthly premium (the base rate this year is $115.40), it pays to find out if you can delay enrollment even though you've retired or reached age 65.

If you're still working and have qualifying insurance you might be able to delay, says Rancourt. It's essential to find out if your coverage qualifies, though, and to report such coverage.

"Unless you're working, with continuity of coverage, you'll face a heavy penalty for late sign-up," Rancourt cautions. "Contact your HR department and ask what effect turning 65 will have on your own or your spouse's insurance."

If you retire before age 65 and start receiving Social Security, Part B will start automatically, complete with the premium. If, however, your working spouse's insurance still covers you, you may be able to suspend your Part B. (Make sure to double-check if your coverage qualifies.)

Both Part A and Part B have copays and deductibles. This year, Part A has a $1,132 deductible per 60-day period, while Part B has a yearly $162 deductible. To help cover these, Medicare Supplemental Plans are available through private insurers. To qualify, an MSP must fully cover copayment amounts; qualifying plans are listed at www.maine.gov.

Including Part B, Part D (for prescriptions) and a supplemental plan, premiums for Medicare, which many people think is free, can run between $200 and $500 per month. Aid is available for those with low incomes (currently below $1,745 a month for a single person and $2,347 for a couple), for both premiums and copayments.

You're not alone if you find Medicare surprisingly complicated. Rancourt compares the Medicare system to the "house that Jack built," with new bits and pieces added on as the years have gone by.

"I don't think you can hear this information often enough. It's not something we as a nation teach very well," she adds.

In comparison, Social Security is relatively straightforward. Here, the magic age is 66 (eventually going up to 67). That's when you can apply and receive full benefits, says Robert Clark, public affairs specialist for Social Security Administration in Portland.

(Continued on page 2)

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