For each month you delay enrollment in Medicare Part D, you will have to pay a 1% Part D late enrollment penalty (LEP), unless you:
- Have creditable drug coverage
- Qualify for the Extra Help program
- Prove that you received inadequate information about whether your drug coverage was creditable
In most cases, you will have to pay that penalty every month for as long as you have Medicare. If you are enrolled in Medicare because of a disability and currently pay a premium penalty, once you turn 65 you will no longer have to pay the penalty.
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Get Help Applying for Medicare Cost-Savings Programs
If you live in New York, the Medicare Rights Center can help you enroll in various Medicare cost-savings programs. Please answer a few questions to see if we can connect you with a trained benefits enrollment counselor.
Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program
Each state offers a SHIP, partly funded by the federal government, to give you free counseling and assistance. A SHIP counselor may be available by phone or in person.
Visit www.shiptacenter.org to find your local SHIP office.
Contact your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program
Based on the information you provided, you do not appear to be eligible for Medicare cost-saving programs.
Each state offers a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), partly funded by the federal government, to give you free counseling and assistance. A SHIP counselor may be available by phone or in person.
Visit www.shiptacenter.org to find your local SHIP office.
You are on your way!
A trained counselor from the Medicare Rights Center will be in touch soon to discuss your options.
Click here to learn more about the various Medicare cost-savings programs.
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How do you calculate your premium penalty?
Let’s say you delayed enrollment in Part D for seven months (and you do not meet any of the exceptions listed above). Your monthly premium would be 7% higher for as long as you have Part D (7 months x 1%). The national base beneficiary premium in 2024 is $34.70 a month. Your monthly premium penalty would therefore be $2.43 ($34.70 x 0.07 = $2.43) per month, which you would pay in addition to your plan’s premium.
Note: The Part D penalty is always calculated using the national base beneficiary premium. Your penalty will not decrease if you enroll in a Part D plan with a lower premium.