Penalty for Late Medicare Signup Eased

Some people who did not sign up for Medicare on time because of confusion with Obamacare, will not be penalized. The government has relaxed its penalties for not signing up for Medicare on time for some recipients, according to NPR in "Feds to Waive Penalties for Some Who Signed up Late for Medicare." When it comes to the federal government and Medicare, it has been required that eligible people either sign up at the right time or they face stiff penalties, if they attempt to sign up later. However, it has been determined that people who purchased their health insurance through Obamacare’s (Affordable Care Act) marketplaces were not made aware that they needed to sign up for Medicare, when they became eligible. When looking at the marketplace website, it appeared they were doing everything properly as long as they continued to purchase insurance on the marketplace. They have been granted a waiver of the penalties. People affected will need to apply for the waiver. They only have until Sept. 30, 2017 to do so. This waiver is only being granted to those who continued to purchase insurance through the Affordable Care Act, but it is an important step for many elderly people. Reference: NPR (June 6, 2017) "Feds to Waive Penalties for Some Who Signed up Late for Medicare."