Tuesday, March 12, 2024

Do I Need To Sign Up For Medicare At 65

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Sign Up: Within 8 Months After The Active Duty Service Member Retires

Turning 65 and enrolling in Medicare? Medicare Signup + Social Security Explained
  • Most people dont have to pay a premium for Part A . So, you might want to sign up for Part A when you turn 65, even if the active duty service member is still working.
  • Youll pay a monthly premium for Part B , so you might want to wait to sign up for Part B.

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverageIf you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment Period, youll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B late enrollment penalty?

Should I Sign Up During My Initial Enrollment Period

For most people, the answer is yes. They need to sign up for Medicare during their seven-month initial enrollment period , which starts three months before the month you turn age 65 and ends three months after your birthday month. If your 65th birthday is in June, your IEP begins March 1 and ends Sept. 30.

If your birthday falls on the first day of a month, the whole initial enrollment period moves forward one month. For example, if your birthday is June 1, your IEP begins Feb. 1 and ends Aug. 31.

If you or your spouse is still working and you have health insurance coverage from that active employer, you may be able to wait. But otherwise, you need to sign up for Medicare during your IEP to avoid late enrollment penalties and delayed coverage.

The phrase active employer is key. If you have other insurance that isnt from your own or your spouses current employer, you will still need to sign up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period. You need to sign up during your IEP in all of these circumstances: If you have

  • COBRA health coverage that extends the insurance you or your spouse received from an employer while working
  • Health insurance that you bought yourself and no employer provided it
  • No health insurance
  • Retiree benefits from your own or a spouses former employer
  • Veterans benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs health system but no insurance from a current employer

I Am Turning 65 Next Year When Can I Sign Up For Medicare

If you are eligible for Medicare, your initial enrollment period for Part A and Part B begins three months before the month of your 65th birthday and ends three months after it. For example, if your 65th birthday is in June, your enrollment period will extend from March 1 through September 30. If you join during one of the 3 months before you turn 65, coverage will begin the first day of the month you turn 65. If you join during the month you turn 65 or during one of the 3 months after your turn 65, coverage will begin the first day of the month following the month you enroll.

Once you have Part A and Part B, you are then also eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan and/or a Part D plan. If you are already receiving Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you will automatically be enrolled in Part A and Part B. If you are not already receiving Social Security benefits and you want to enroll in Medicare, you should contact Social Security.

Part B is voluntary, but you may face a penalty for late enrollment if you do not sign up it when you turn 65, unless you or your spouse are still working and have a group health plan from the employer. Similarly, Part D is voluntary, but you may face a penalty for late enrollment if you sign up for a Part D plan after your initial enrollment period ends and you go for more than 63 days without a source of drug coverage at least as good as what Medicare Part D offers.

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How To Apply Online For Just Medicare

Are you within three months of turning age 65 or older and not ready to start your monthly Social Security benefits yet? You can use our online retirement application to sign up just for Medicare and wait to apply for your retirement or spouses benefits later. It takes less than 10 minutes, and there are no forms to sign and usually no documentation is required.

To find out what documents and information you need to apply, go to the .

Sign Up: Within 8 Months After Your Family Member Stopped Working

Can I Sign Up for Medicare Before 65?
  • Your current coverage might not pay for health services if you dont have both Part A and Part B .
  • If you have Medicare due to a disability or ALS , youll already have Part A coverage.

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverageIf you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment Period, youll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty until you turn 65. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B late enrollment penalty?

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Sign Up: Within 8 Months After You Or Your Spouse Stopped Working

Your current coverage might not pay for health services if you dont have both Part A and Part B .

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverageIf you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment Period, youll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B late enrollment penalty?

When Should You Sign Up For Medicare If You Are Still Working

You can sign up for Medicare Part A at age 65 even if you’re still working and have insurance through your employer. You are allowed to delay signing up for Medicare Part B until you leave work. There is a special enrollment period, which lasts eight months, when you can sign up for Part B. Miss the special enrollment period, though, and you’ll have to pay a 10% penalty for each year you could have signed up but didn’t.

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If You Are Not Yet Receiving Social Security Benefits

If you are not yet receiving Social Security benefits or benefits from the Railroad Retirement system, you are eligible to sign up for Medicare three months before the month you turn 65, but your enrollment will not happen automatically. You must call or apply online. It is to your benefit to sign up for Medicare Part A as soon as you are eligible, especially if you qualify for premium-free Part A, even if you still have coverage through a group health plan.

Although eligible, you may not have to enroll in Part B, which requires you to pay a monthly premium. Spend the time to learn about Medicare Part B to determine if you should sign up. If you dont sign up initially and don’t have other qualifying coverage, it will cost you more to sign up later. Watch out for those late enrollment penalties we mentioned earlier.

Who Should Sign Up At 65 Even If They Have Other Insurance

Signing up for Medicare at age 65 // Part B Enrollment

This leaves a fairly long list of other types of insurance that become secondary payers to Medicare. Therefore, if you’re turning 65 and any of these situations apply to you, you should sign up for Medicare during your initial enrollment period.

  • You have group coverage through your or your spouse’s employer, but the employer has fewer than 20 workers.
  • You have retiree coverage, either through your former employer or your spouse’s former employer.
  • You have group coverage through COBRA.
  • You have TRICARE, the healthcare program for military service members, retirees, and their families. Retired service members must get Medicare Part B when eligible in order to keep their TRICARE coverage.
  • You have veterans’ benefits.
  • You have coverage through the healthcare marketplace or have other private insurance. Once your Medicare coverage begins, you’ll no longer get any reduced premium or tax credit for marketplace coverage, and you should drop this coverage as you’ll no longer need it .

If one of these situations applies to you and you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B during your initial enrollment period, you could face permanently higher premiums when you do.

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Do I Qualify For A Medicare Special Enrollment Period

Perhaps, if you or your spouse is still working and you have health insurance from that employer. The special enrollment period allows you to sign up for Medicare Part B throughout the time you have coverage from your or your spouses employer and for up to eight months after the job or insurance ends, whichever occurs first.

If you enroll at any point during this time, your Medicare coverage will begin the first day of the following month. And you will not be liable for late penalties, no matter how old you are when you finally sign up.

Your decision also depends on the size of your employer and whether the employers plan is first in line to pay your medical bills or second.

Larger companies. If you or your spouse work for a company with 20 or more employees, you can delay signing up for Medicare until the employment ends or the coverage stops, whichever happens first. These large employers must offer you and your spouse the same benefits they offer younger employees and their spouses, which means that the employers coverage can continue to be your primary coverage and pay your medical bills first.

Many people enroll in Medicare Part A at 65 even though they have employer coverage, because its free if they or their spouse has paid 40 or more quarters of Medicare taxes. But they often delay signing up for Part B while theyre still working so they dont have to pay premiums for both Medicare and the employer coverage.

Keep in mind

To Qualify For Medicare You Need To Get Disability Benefits From:

  • Social Security
  • Railroad Retirement Board

Youll automatically get Part A and Part B after you get disability benefits for 24 months. Well mail you a welcome package with your Medicare card.

If you or your spouse worked for a railroad, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772.

If you live in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.

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I Will Not Retire Until Age 70 Do I Still Have To Sign Up For Medicare At Age 65

En español | If youre over 65 and receive coverage under a group health plan provided by an employer for which you or your spouse actively works, you have the right to delay Medicare enrollment until the job ends or the coverage ends whichever occurs first. At that point, youre entitled to a special enrollment period of up to eight months to sign up for Medicare without risking late penalties.

If the employer has 20 or more employees, the law stipulates that those 65 and older must be offered exactly the same health benefits that are offered to younger employees . In this situation, the employer cannot require you to sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 or become eligible for Medicare due to disability.

There is one situation when you definitely need to delay Medicare enrollment until you retire. That is if your employers coverage takes the form of a high-deductible health care plan paired with a health savings account . Under IRS rules you cannot contribute to an HSA in any month when you are enrolled in any part of Medicare .

For more information, see the following AARP articles:

Medicare When Working Beyond 65 at .

Can I Have a Health Savings Account as Well as Medicare? at .

How Long Does It Take To Apply For Medicare Part A And Part B

Do I have to sign up for Medicare at 65?

Once you submit your Medicare coverage application, Medicare will review it to ensure all the information is accurate and complete.

When applying, be sure to double-check the accuracy of your contact information. This is important to ensure prompt delivery of your Medicare identification card, as well as in the event Medicare needs to contact you regarding additional information for enrollment.

After your application is received and processed, you will receive a letter from Social Security with the decision. You can always contact Social Security for assistance if you encounter any questions or problems during the process.

In most circumstances, you will receive a Medicare I.D. card a few weeks after your initial application is approved. Unfortunately, sometimes waiting times can be as long as 90 days. So, be sure to submit your application with additional time.

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However, if you automatically enroll in Medicare because you already receive Social Security benefits, you will receive your I.D. card two months before turning 65.

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Medicares Initial Enrollment Period

When you can enroll. If youre new to Medicare, you have an Initial Enrollment Period that lasts seven months, during which you can enroll in Part A, B, and/or D. The seven-month period begins three months before you turn 65 and ends three months after the month in which you turn 65.

Part C has its own initial enrollment period, called an Initial Coverage Election Period. You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan starting three months before your Medicare Part B enrollment is due to take effect up until three months after your 65th birthday. Or you can add a Medicare Advantage plan during the Open Enrollment Period each fall .

When coverage begins. Your Part A coverage will start on the first day of the month you turn 65, even if you wait until the end of your initial enrollment period to sign up, when youre age 65 and three months.

But your Part B coverage will start on the first day of the month you turn 65 only if you signed up in the three months before your birthday. If you sign up during your birthday month or during the three months after your birthday, your coverage will start the first day of the following month.

If you enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, your coverage will generally begin the first day of the month after you enroll .

What Documents Do I Need To Apply For Medicare Part A And Part B

To begin the application process for Medicare Part A and Part B, you will need to ensure you have the following documentations to verify your identity:

  • A copy of your birth certificate
  • Your drivers license or state I.D. card
  • Proof of U.S. citizenship or proof of legal residency

You may need additional documents as well. Make sure to have on hand:

  • Your Social Security card
  • W-2 forms if still active in employment
  • Military discharge documents if you previously served in the U.S. military before 1968
  • Information about current health insurance types and coverage dates

If you are already enrolled in Medicare Part A and have chosen to delay enrollment in Medicare Part B, you must complete the additional forms .

  • 40B form: This allows you to apply for enrollment into Medicare Part B only. The 40B form must be included in your online application or mailed directly to the Social Security office.
  • L564 form: Your employer must complete this form if you delayed Medicare Part B due to creditable group coverage through said employer. You must also include the completed L564 form in your online application or mail it directly to the Social Security office.

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No Need To Double Up On Coverage

Many seniors are no longer employed at age 65, and thus rush to sign up for Medicare as soon as theyre able. But if youre still working at 65, and you have coverage under a group health plan through an employer with 20 employees or more, then you dont have to enroll in Medicare right away.

That said, it often pays to enroll in Medicare Part A on time even if you have health coverage already. It wont cost you anything, and this way, Medicare can serve as your secondary insurance and potentially pick up the tab for anything your primary insurance doesnt cover.

The only exception is if youre contributing to a health savings account and wish to continue doing so. Medicare enrollees are not allowed to contribute to an HSA, even if they continue to have coverage under an employers HSA-qualified high-deductible health plan.

Medicare Part Ddrug Coverage Has To Be Creditable

Do I Automatically Get Medicare When I Turn 65?

Part D covers prescription drugs. If your employer plan offers what Medicare calls “creditable” coverage, you may be able to delay enrolling in a Part D plan. If you don’t have this type of coverage and don’t enroll as soon as you’re eligible, there’s a late enrollment penalty if you go more than 63 days without prescription drug coverage.

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When To Sign Up And Apply For Medicare

Home / FAQs / General Medicare / When to Sign Up and Apply for Medicare

When you are new to Medicare, you probably have questions regarding when and how to apply for Medicare. Understanding when to sign up for Medicare and knowing the right way to enroll in Medicare coverage is important. Below, we tell you how and when to apply for Medicare.

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