Has any American here started Medicare, Stopped it, then started it again?

[gk10012001]

I am on US Medicare.  Crazy how they do the IRMAA and premiums so I am considering dis enrolling, spending a year or a bit more in THailand, then returning to the USA and restarting Medicare.  I know there may e a 10% surcharge for each year one doesn't get Part B when first eligible, but I got no firm answers today when chatting with Medicare about exact time frames, if part of a year is prorated, etc.  They just do not handle non standard questions well from their playbooks.   Any experience comments appreciated

[Pib]

It's my understanding the Part B penalty is based on "12 month periods (i.e., full year) " not enrolled; it's not based on fractional years.   So it would not be prorated.

 

Say for example you enrolled 12 months late during an authorized enrollment period....that's a 10% penalty.  If enrolling 24 months late then 20%.   But what about some period between 12 and 24 (or any fractional year period)?  Well, if by some Medicare enrollment provision that you could enroll/reenroll 13 to 23 months late since that did not equal the next "whole 12 month" period of 24 months" then the late enrollment fee would be 10% for only a 12 month/1 year period.

 

See calculators below for some examples.   And preaching to choir I'm sure when I say a person can only enroll/rerolled under during certain times/under certain conditions.  It's not like someone who is at least 65 wakes up one day and decides to enroll and calls up Medicare or visit a SSA office to enroll hoping they will be enrolled effective the beginning of the upcoming month....nope, when a person will be able to enroll/reenroll will depends on the open season/special enrollment period which would apply to the person which means he might not get enrolled until numerous months later which might effect the penalty percentage since it based on date the enrollment become effective vs the day someone applied for enrollment. 

 

https://themedicarefamily.com/calculators/part-b-penalty/

 

https://www.resourcemedicare.com/medicare-tools/penalty-calculators

 

[gk10012001]

1 hour ago, Pib said:

It's my understanding the Part B penalty is based on "12 month periods (i.e., full year) " not enrolled; it's not based on fractional years.   So it would not be prorated.

 

Say for example you enrolled 12 months late during an authorized enrollment period....that's a 10% penalty.  If enrolling 24 months late then 20%.   But what about some period between 12 and 24 (or any fractional year period)?  Well, if by some Medicare enrollment provision that you could enroll/reenroll 13 to 23 months late since that did not equal the next "whole 12 month" period of 24 months" then the late enrollment fee would be 10% for only a 12 month/1 year period.

 

See calculators below for some examples.   And preaching to choir I'm sure when I say a person can only enroll/rerolled under during certain times/under certain conditions.  It's not like someone who is at least 65 wakes up one day and decides to enroll and calls up Medicare or visit a SSA office to enroll hoping they will be enrolled effective the beginning of the upcoming month....nope, when a person will be able to enroll/reenroll will depends on the open season/special enrollment period which would apply to the person which means he might not get enrolled until numerous months later which might effect the penalty percentage since it based on date the enrollment become effective vs the day someone applied for enrollment. 

 

https://themedicarefamily.com/calculators/part-b-penalty/

 

https://www.resourcemedicare.com/medicare-tools/penalty-calculators

 

fantastically useful response.  Thank you very much.