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brianwl wrote:

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Talked to Tricare today to confirm something I'd heard. If you are on SSDI and your date for signing up for Medicare Part B comes along, you do NOT have to sign up for it IF you are under 65. You can keep your Tricare Prime which is significantly less expensive than Med B.

Once you turn 65 you HAVE to take Med B in order to get Tricare for Life (TFL).

In my case I am 52 and will eligible for Med B at 53. That's 11 years I do not have to pay the high cost of Med B.

Also, as I understand it there is NO penalty for delaying signing up for Med B until you are 65.

I have not had the chance for confirm the statements about Med B from Social Security, they were closed by the time I got around to talking with Tricare. I'll call on Monday or Tuesday.

"Under Federal law, if you're a TRICARE beneficiary eligible for premium-free Medicare Part A because of a disability or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or are eligible based on turning age 65, you must have Medicare Part B coverage to remain TRICARE-eligible. The only exceptions are:

• Your sponsor is on active duty
• You're enrolled in the US Family Health Plan
• You're enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select

If you fall into one of these categories, you are not required to have Medicare Part B coverage to remain eligible for TRICARE. However, we strongly encourage you to get Medicare Part B as soon as you become eligible for Medicare Part A to avoid any future loss of TRICARE coverage. You can scroll down below to learn more about these exceptions."