How does Original Medicare work?

[Ciro]

I recently moved back to Argentina and I am considering dropping Medicare Part B.
During all my retirement years, I have been enrolled in a UHC AARP Medicare Advantage Plan. When I retired and began researching healthcare plans, all the information I received was centered around Medicare Advantage plans, and I never got to learn and understand how Original Medicare works.
I do not understand what would happen if I drop Part B and keep only Medicare, and then one day I return to the US because of a major medical issue.

How does one enroll in Original Medicare?
If I enroll in Medicare Advantage, I believe UHC considers the applicant's address. I no longer have a US address.
I contacted OSHIIP many times with these concerns and they keep steering me towards Medicare Advantage. They just won't elaborate about Original Medicare.

I would appreciate any assistance regarding this matter.

 

[rob0001]

In a nutshell...part A is for hospitalization, part b is for the doctors and a few other items.
Those two are the only "original" medicare. Anything else part c ...on. is from a private company policy which can include a and b as well as c, d, etc. that private policy is called medicare advantage.
Part a is free but part b costs about $175 a month which is deducted from your social security check usually.
I have only the free part "a" because I never plan on returning to the USA. I opted out of part "b" when I moved out of the USA and had no reason to pay the $175 a month. You can opt out if you live outside of the USA. If you return to the USA you can get part b again but you have to wait until open enrollment January -March each year...and then it doesn't start until July.
You are see a lot of ads for medicare advantage because they are from profit driven private companies selling you stuff you may or may not need....the c, d, etc.
If you have more questions please pm me.

 

[PhillyD]

In a nutshell...part A is for hospitalization, part b is for the doctors and a few other items.
Those two are the only "original" medicare. Anything else part c ...on. is from a private company policy which can include a and b as well as c, d, etc. that private policy is called medicare advantage.
Part a is free but part b costs about $175 a month which is deducted from your social security check usually.
I have only the free part "a" because I never plan on returning to the USA. I opted out of part "b" when I moved out of the USA and had no reason to pay the $175 a month. You can opt out if you live outside of the USA. If you return to the USA you can get part b again but you have to wait until open enrollment January -March each year...and then it doesn't start until July.
You are see a lot of ads for medicare advantage because they are from profit driven private companies selling you stuff you may or may not need....the c, d, etc.
If you have more questions please pm me.

Just one caveat to this, not all part a is free if you don’t have enough qualifying time employed in the USA. If you have to pay for your part A, you’re required to be enrolled in part B.

 

[PhillyD]

If you’re no longer working, you can choose to pay Medicare Part B premiums while you’re overseas or delay enrollment until you come back to the country. However, you may have to pay a late-enrollment fee at that time, for life.

Medicare coverage for those who live permanently outside the United States - Medicare Interactive​

If you have moved outside the United States permanently, you should decide whether to keep Medicare Parts A and B. Remember, you can have […]

www.medicareinteractive.org

 

[rob0001]

Just one caveat to this, not all part a is free if you don’t have enough qualifying time employed in the USA. If you have to pay for your part A, you’re required to be enrolled in part B.

Yes, actually their are several caveats...this was just a summary...

 

[rob0001]

Also, so I don't lead someone astray...there are two open enrollment periods... depends on your situation which you can use. The first is October 15th - December 7th ...the other is the January -March that I mentioned before.