Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Halloween Scary Medicare Letter
I received the thick envelope from Medicare today. They are demanding I repay them because they erroneously overpaid me. The letter details the rules and regulations regarding the necessary repayment. It details my rights for dispute (but makes it clear that such appeal is hopeless). It details the penalty of 10.875% interest on the amount due if not repaid within thirty days. (I assume this is an "annual percentage rate", but it never says that. By gosh! It could be a daily or monthly rate!) If I do not pay by December 3, 2011, they will withhold all my Medicare payments. I am allowed to make an extended payment plan, and I am allowed to certify that I am bankrupt or unable to pay because of other financial difficulty (three more pa ges to so certify).
And then there are the listings of the overpayments.
There are sixty-two incidences where they overpaid me, from February until June of 2010. The amounts of overpayment range from one cent (really! eighteen of the errors were less than a nickel!!) to whopping $1.04. The average amount is forty cents.'
So I am immediately sending them back the $24.63 they demand as soon as I am able (TODAY!) lest I incur the wrath of this bureaucracy!
Their rules. Their error. Their threats. Their ridiculous recouping of this pittance.
And then there are the listings of the overpayments.
There are sixty-two incidences where they overpaid me, from February until June of 2010. The amounts of overpayment range from one cent (really! eighteen of the errors were less than a nickel!!) to whopping $1.04. The average amount is forty cents.'
So I am immediately sending them back the $24.63 they demand as soon as I am able (TODAY!) lest I incur the wrath of this bureaucracy!
Their rules. Their error. Their threats. Their ridiculous recouping of this pittance.
