Kurt's Work

The Medicare Enrollment Protection Act of 2018 would protect seniors from coverage gaps in Medicare. Under current law, anyone 65 and older who does not enroll in Medicare Part B within eight months of retiring or being laid off from his or her job is penalized with a higher lifetime premium and a delayed start to Medicare coverage. This includes those who opt into COBRA coverage upon retirement which essentially extends the coverage they received under their employer for up to an additional 18 months. The Medicare Enrollment Protection Act of 2018 will establish a special enrollment period for seniors who miss their enrollment periods due to COBRA continuation coverage.

Congressman Schrader first introduced a version of this bill in 2010, two years after the recession hit causing mass layoffs and forcing thousands to retire early. Many of those 65 and older who were forced to retire early opted to enroll in COBRA to remain in their current network. Once their COBRA coverage expired however, they were forced to wait until the next Medicare enrollment period, delaying coverage for over a year in some cases, and were hit with higher premiums for life.