Dear Toni,
My Medicare starts Nov. 1, and I received my first bill, due on Oct. 25, about a week ago. This bill is for three months, from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, and it’s over $550. I currently have more than $12,000 on my health savings account debit card through my past employer, and I was wondering if Medicare will accept payments made with an HSA debit card.
I still work and make more income than Social Security allows without having to pay a penalty because I am not at what Social Security calls my full retirement age. So I can’t start my Social Security check so that my Medicare premium can be deducted monthly. How can I pay that premium amount by the due date? Hope your answer will make this Medicare situation less stressful. — Valerie from Cleveland, Ohio
Hello Valerie:
Guess what? Medicare offers four ways to pay your premium online, and having an HSA account is one of them. Valerie, you should open a medicare.gov account since you are not receiving your Social Security check. The ways of paying are using a HSA card, a credit/debit card or a direct payment from your checking or savings account. Medicare’s payment service is free.