Renewal Season is Here

Please do not forget to renew

By Timothy Redd
If you are a recipient of Medicare Part B you may have received a renewal packet in the mail. Do not throw it away or ignore the renewal. You are eligible to time limited equitable relief if you are enrolled in a QHP and you are enrolled in premium Par A and you have an initial enrollment period that began April 1. 2013 or later or you were notified of retroactive premium free Part A on October 1, 2013 or later.
 
The Equitable Relief for Part B allows beneficiaries enroll in Medicare Part B with no penalty, eliminates part B late enrollment penalty in part B if the enrollment was delayed. 
In order to qualify for equitable relief for Part B:

1. You must gather the appropriate documentation. Proof of your QHP enrollment is required which can be a letter showing that you are enrolled in both Medicare and a Marketplace plan. Proofs of premium payments and bills, IRS form 1095—A that shows months of coverage and subsidy amount.
2. Call the SSA at 1800-772-1213 or www.ssa.gov to find a local Social Security office that you can visit in person.
3. Once on the phone or in the office with a representative request to use limited equitable relief to enroll in part b and or eliminate Part B.

The deadline for the equitable relief for Part B is September 30, 2017. Because of the Affordable Care Act, the Bureau of TennCare handled the application  process for Medicare Savings Program effective January 1, 2014.  Enrollment was postponed because a computer system was not in place the verify eligibility. 

When the renewal packet comes in the mail you will have a letter informing you your due date in bold. It is recommended that you fax it back to prove Tennessee Health Connection received it. The fax number is 1-877-430-0843.
You can also call the TennCare Renewal Packet Number at 1-844-337-3348. You should wait at least 10 days before calling to verify the packet was received.

The Bureau of TennCare has 35 business days to process a pocket once it’s been received. If additional documentation is needed another 35 days can be added onto the processing time.

If you need further assistance contact State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Medicare participants at 1-877-801-0044. SHIP staff can verify the packet was received.

If you miss the deadline your premium will be deducted from SSA check and may be multiple months.  You will have 90 days to submit you packet in order to make your benefits retroactive. Premiums will be deducted until determination.