Question:

My brother is 100% disabled with PTSD from Viet Nam. I helped him get VA disability and Social Security. I also do his taxes and other paperwork. It is all overwhelming for him. He has decided at age 75 to get Medicare Plan B. I don't know where I go to fill out an application. I do not want to get a bunch of supplemental health insurance representatives bothering him or me. Do I contact SSA or VA or Medicare?

Jim's Reply:

Medicare is divided into a number of differing plans, A, B, etc. Medicare Part A is more or less required and it is 'free' in that there is no actual payment due when you receive Part A along with retirement or SSDI benefits. All those other letters are elective and require that you either elect to purchase the service at the first opportunity provided to you or you wait for a future special enrollment period and apply then.
 

You can read more and learn how to apply here https://www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/ 
 

The bad news is that there will be a penalty of about a 10% increase in the cost of the plan for every year that he delayed enrolling. Suddenly Part B is much less of a bargain. His payment may run as much as 50% higher than it would have originally.
 

If you'll have a look here https://www.vawatchdog.org/social-security-and-medicare-benefits.html you'll learn that many vets don't need Part B as well as more about what happens when we delay signing up.
 

I signed up for Part B because I'm a good ways from my VA facility and like my local doctors. I pay copays which I wouldn't have at VA but it's worth it for me. After this long time without Part B, if I were you I'd think hard about whether it's a good use of the available funds? If he's been without it this long, will it be a great investment? These are tough decisions and require a lot of thought.
 

Thank you for taking care of your veteran brother. I know it's a challenge at times but every veteran on the planet, myself included, salutes you for your love. Good luck.