Medicare Part B Special Enrollment Period runs through September
The Special Enrollment Period (SEP) has arrived and runs through Sept. 30. The SEP is a result of the Postal
Service Reform Act that created the Postal Service Health Benefits (PSHB) Program within the existing Federal
Employees Health Benefits Program. A major component of the Postal Service Reform Act was the integration of
Medicare with the PSHB program.
Retirees aged 65 or older who have not yet enrolled in Medicare Part B have a chance to enroll without being
subject to the late enrollment penalty during this special one-time-only period. If they enroll, the Postal Service
will pay for the rest of their lives any annual penalties on the premium for not having enrolled during their initial
enrollment period. For those who did not enroll in Medicare Part B when they were first eligible, this is a chance to
opt in at a time when they might need it more, without having had to pay the premiums earlier when they did not
need it, or a penalty for opting in late.
Eligible retirees should have received notice and enrollment instructions from the Postal Service. To read more
about the PSHB Program, see the January issue of The Postal Record.
