UNITED STATES—Toni: I need your help! I have discovered that my mother, Sarah, who is 67, never enrolled in Medicare Part B or a Part D prescription drug plan when she turned 65. She enrolled in Medicare Part A, which doesn’t have a premium so that she could pay her monthly bills. A friend told my mother that if she did not go to the doctor, my mother could wait to enroll in Medicare Part B when she had a health issue.

Last month, my mother was diagnosed with colon cancer and received a bill from the cancer facility for outpatient care because Medicare has denied her cancer claim since she is not enrolled in Medicare Part B. I contacted the local Social Security office and was told that she must wait until January 1 to enroll in Medicare Part B during Medicare’s General Enrollment Period.

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