Maybe you are like me. I received a postcard from Via Benefits maybe a month ago and barely looked at it. At least I didn't throw it away. It was about automatic premium reimbursement. I've been doing that for my part D and medigap so I tossed the postcard in the Medicare mail pile and wondered when I was going to get my form in the mail to setup the automated monthly reimbursement for part B in 2021 like I did in 2018 and 2019.
A friend called yesterday and was asking me questions about how to fill out his 2021 form because he has an IRMAA (he is a retired executive). IRMAA is a premium differential higher income people pay to be in Medicare (but don't call it a tax!) We talked through the form he received and I realized I had not received my part B form. I called him back to ask when he received it and he said he called Via to request it be mailed.
Smart me, I decided I would just print mine off the Via Benefits website. I knew how to print forms off the Via website! Fat chance. Such began my decent into insanity. It took a couple of tries but I did succeed in logging on. It had been a while since I'd been on the site. I tried to find "forms" but the website had been redesigned. I crawled all over the main site and the reimbursement site and no forms were anywhere. Then I tried to do a search. The "HELP" function circulated but never loaded so I couldn't do a search. I went back through every menu item again and couldn't find forms.
It was time to composed a hate filled message to submit as a "ticket" and I decided to further work out my aggression by sweeping leaves off the back deck. Then I looked at that damn post card. It was about how to get part B reimbursement but they never say on the card that it is only for people who don't have IRMAA so he couldn't have used it. I went back to the website, determined to learn how I could do it (the postcard said I could do it online) and how he could have done it because of his IRMAA.
Here's what I learned. If you don't have an IRMAA and still have the postcard, you can mail in the response card and they will turn on automatic reimbursement for part B. If you threw out the postcard, you can call or turn it on in your Via Benefit reimbursement profile. If you have an IRMAA, call Via to get the form like he did OR do a recurring premium reimbursement function and fill out the questions in the function fields using "Medicare" as the insurance company. You then have the option of printing out the "form" created by the application to mail with a copy of you SSA letter or submit it online and upload an image of your SSA letter.
Of course, I bitterly complained to Via Benefits in their survey. It seems to me they do not field test their redesigns on seniors. At the very least, there should be a stellar "Help" function that will actually load. I think it is elder abuse!
I received the card yesterday and was really skeptical (I think they change things every year to make it more confusing to us seniors). I too logged into extend to find the form so I could submit the Medicare part B recurring expense and upon logging in I was presented with the automatic recurring premium reimbursement selection which showed Medicare part B for my wife and myself. After looking for the form and not being able to find it I reluctantly turned on to automatic reimbursement for Medicare part B. Hopefully it works. If not then the beginning of Feb I'll be raising hell. Don't really like the way they changed the menu's again.
ReplyDeleteHi, Arnold. It would have been nice if Via sent out a letter describing the changes and why they were doing it a new way. The post card is worthless. I mostly view it as they don't care and that this way of doing it is cheaper for them. I am worried we will lose the benefit altogether because it is not ERISA protected and we will have a much bigger issue because IBM splitting in two. There is not clear information about what happens to the defined pension plan. The SEC filing a few months ago said it was "TBD". It might turn into an annuity. That's what Verizon did.
ReplyDeleteI once had a manager that said to me " cheer up Chuck things could be worse" I cheered up and sure enough things got worse. The splitting into separate company's Does not give me any confidence that IBM will be continuing anything that they don't have to for the profits of the company. Only thing I'm glad I did when they started allocating the $3000 for medical reimbursements was not to select the spouse option. That has worked out well for us. Especially not knowing if the HRA will be around in the future. BTW this blog has been very valuable. Great job.
DeleteMaybe they will keep the pension. IBM's pension pool is over $50 Billion worldwide and they didn't have to add money to the USA pool at the beginning of this year. The defined pension plan was frozen at the end of 2007, so beneficiaries are exiting and no new adds. Sadly, covid accelerated the actuarial tables for people over 65 by about 1/2%. IBM keeps excess dollars in the pension pool as beneficiaries exit so there are definite incentives to keep the asset. Thank you for the compliment! Wishes for a happy 2021.
DeleteYes, it is very sad what has happened this years Hopefully 2021 will bring a better outlook for us. Have a safe holiday.
DeleteTwo Questions, 1) If you turn on auto reimbursement for Medicare part B, how do you account for the SHAP payments? I always wait until I have received all my SHAP payments for the current year and then submit a request for the difference between the total part B and the total SHAP for the current year.
ReplyDelete2)What is this about IBM splitting in two? Did I miss something in my mail? Please create an entry to enlighten us with what you know about this.
I suggest you do the same thing you have always done and not turn on the auto reimbursement OR turn on the auto reimbursement when you know your SHAP reimbursements will not cover the part B. By my calculations the total part B f0r 2021 is $1782. SHAP is $900. So SHAP covers 6 months worth of payments. I would turn on auto reimburse in June. Via will reimburse $8 more than it should. If that bothers you, turn it on in July and then file for the last part B payment -$8 in January if you have any HRA $ left. I'll do a post on the IBM announcement.
ReplyDeleteJust a little feedback on reimbursements from extend for this year. I did turn on auto reimbursement for the Medicare part B and had the money in the second week of January. That was a good thing. I have also found in my case with other premiums, I do them online and upload the bill and supporting cleared payment info, that I have been reimbursed within a couple of days. My biggest issue has been the USPS and the payments getting lost. I've resorted to paying the bills online with a credit card that way I know the payment gets there. I've had 3 different checks that never arrived and one was to the IRS. (still dealing with that one). Good luck and stay safe.
ReplyDeleteI also have been having problems with USPS. If the insurance company allows it, having them auto bill to a credit card works well. I do it for both the medigap and part D policies. You can also setup auto reimburse for those kinds of policies so you don't have to keep proving you paid the bill.
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