Enrollment
Medicare enrollment can be complicated. Here are the basics.
There are 3 ways to enroll in Medicare:
Online Enrollment: You can easily enroll in Medicare online through the official Medicare website, a convenient and accessible option.
Phone Enrollment: Contacting the Social Security Administration by phone allows you to enroll in Medicare and get assistance from their representatives.
In-Person Enrollment: If you prefer a face-to-face interaction, visit your local Social Security office to enroll in Medicare in person.
Important Dates to Consider:
Initial Enrollment Period (IEP): This 7-month period starts three months before your 65th birthday, includes your birthday month, and continues for three months after. It's when you can first enroll in Medicare without facing penalties.
Open Enrollment Period: Occurs annually from October 15 to December 7, allowing you to make changes to your Medicare coverage for the following year.
General Enrollment Period (GEP): Runs from January 1 to March 31, during which you can enroll in Medicare if you missed your IEP, but coverage typically starts on July 1.
Enrolling in Medicare
Enrolling in Medicare can occur automatically or manually, depending on your circumstances:
- Automatic Enrollment: If you’re already receiving Social Security benefits or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B when you become eligible. You will receive your Medicare card in the mail about three months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of disability.
- Manual Enrollment: If you’re not receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, you need to manually enroll in Medicare. The initial enrollment period for Medicare begins three months before your 65th birthday and extends for seven months. You can sign up for Medicare online, by phone, or by visiting your local Social Security office.
Signing up for Medicare automatically
You may be automatically enrolled in Medicare coverage if you:
- Are already getting retirement benefits from the Social Security Administration
- Are already getting retirements from the Railroad Retirement Board
- If you are signed up for Medicare coverage automatically, your Medicare card will be mailed to you three months before your 65th birthday. Your Medicare coverage benefits will start on the first day of the month you turn 65. If your birthday is the first of the month, your benefits will start on the first day of the previous month.
You can be sure that your address is updated for Medicare by going to your My Social Security account online.
Manual enrollment process and steps to follow
If you don’t get Medicare automatically, you can manually sign up for Medicare.
To sign up for Medicare manually, you can:
- Visit the Social Security website. You can apply for Medicare only if you’re not yet ready to receive retirement benefits.
- Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, from 7AM to 7PM. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.
- Apply in person at your local Social Security office.
- If you worked for a railroad, you can apply for Medicare through the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772, Monday through Friday, from 9AM to 3:30PM. TTY users can dial 1-312-751-4701.
Signing up for Medicare when you or a spouse is still working
Here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re working past the age of 65:
To sign up for Medicare manually, you can:
- If you have health insurance through you or your spouse’s current employer, you may decide not to sign up for Part B or additional Medicare coverage options while you’re still working and covered. You can wait to sign up until you or your spouse stops working, or if you lose your health insurance.
- If you’re self-employed, you’ll need to know if you have employer group health plan coverage. If not, you will need to sign up for Medicare coverage options once you reach the age of 65 in order to avoid late enrollment penalties.
- If your employer has less than twenty employees, you may need to sign up for Medicare coverage when you turn 65 in order to avoid a gap in coverage when using a job-based health insurance plan.
- If you have COBRA coverage, you’ll need to sign up for Medicare coverage when you turn 65 to avoid any gaps in coverage. If you have COBRA prior to signing up for Medicare coverage, your COBRA coverage is likely to end once you sign up.