When Do I Need To Sign Up For Medicare Part A
As stated above, if youre collecting Social Security benefits, youll automatically get Part A and Part B. If youre not automatically enrolled, the best time to enroll in Part A is during your Initial Enrollment Period.
As long as you worked a minimum of ten years, Part A will be premium-free. Even if youre still working, it makes sense to join Part A to help keep your out-of-pocket medical costs to a minimum.
When To Sign Up For Medicare
How can you make sure that youre adhering to the deadlines? Rest assured that were here to help you sort through the important dates, so that you never fall behind. If youre approaching your 65th birthday, then read on to discover more about the dates and deadlines to keep in mind when it comes to Medicare enrollment.
Ways To Apply For Disability Benefits:
- If you or your spouse worked for a railroad, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772.
Once your disability benefits start, well mail you a welcome package with your Medicare card.
Sign up for Part B if you live in Puerto Rico or outside the U.S.You get Part A automatically. If you want Part B, you need to sign up for it. If you dont sign up for Part B within 3 months after your Part A starts, you might have to wait to sign up for Part B and pay a monthly late enrollment penalty.
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How To Sign Up For Medicare Advantage: When Can I Enroll
Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is another way to receive Original Medicare benefits and is offered through private insurance companies that have contracts with Medicare. At minimum, all Medicare Advantage plans must offer the same Medicare Part A and Part B benefits as Original Medicare. Some Medicare Advantage plans also include additional benefits, such as prescription drug coverage. You must have Original Medicare, Part A and B, to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan through a private insurer.
You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during two enrollment periods, the Initial Coverage Election Period and Annual Election Period.
I Turn 65 In A Few Months When Should I Sign Up For Medicare
En español | If you already receive Social Security benefits, Social Security will automatically sign you up for Medicare Part A and Part B though you can decline Part B enrollment if you want to. Otherwise, you need to apply for Medicare. The best time to do that depends entirely on your own situation. Broadly, there are two options:
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Do I Automatically Get Medicare When I Turn 65
Some people automatically get Medicare at age 65, but those numbers have declined as the Medicare and Social Security ages have continued to drift apart.
Most people who automatically get Medicare at age 65 do so because they have been receiving Social Security benefits for at least four months before turning 65. Traditionally, Medicare premiums are deducted from your Social Security check. For the longest time, you could retire with full Social Security benefits at 65 and start on Medicare at the same time.
You are still automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B at 65 if youre drawing Social Security, but not as many people draw Social Security that early these days because of changes to the eligibility age for full Social Security benefits.
In 2000, the Social Security Amendments of 1983 began pushing back the standard age for full Social Security benefits. The progressive changes are nearing their conclusion: Beginning in 2022, the standard age for full benefits will be 67 for anyone born after 1960.
Besides the Medicare eligibility age of 65, what remains unchanged is that you can opt to begin drawing partial Social Security benefits as early as age 62. So, if you opt for accepting partial Social Security benefits before age 65, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare.
A smaller group of people also automatically get Medicare at age 65: people who receive Railroad Board benefits for at least four months before 65.
Do I Need Medicare If I Am Covered By My Spouse’s Insurance
If you have insurance through a spouse’s employer, you may also be able to delay Medicare past age 65. However, this depends on the rules the employer has for covered dependents of Medicare age. Some employers may require covered dependents to enroll in Medicare at age 65 in order to remain on the employer plan. In this case, you’ll need to talk directly with the employer’s benefits administrator to learn about what you can do about Medicare enrollment.
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When Can You Buy A Medigap Policy
Once youre age 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B for the first time, you have a six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period in which you can buy a Medigap policy. During this period, you can buy any Medigap policy sold in your state, even if you have health problems .
If, though, you apply for Medicare Supplement Insurance after your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you could be turned down for a policy if you have certain health conditions.
Medicare Initial Enrollment Period
Your first chance to enroll in Medicare is around age 65 when you have a seven-month window to apply. During the Medicare Initial Enrollment Period, you can enroll in Original Medicare Parts A and B. You can look at plans or sign up at any time during the three months before, the month of, and the three months after your 65th birthday. Need coverage the month you turn 65? Sign up in the three-month window before your birthday.
Take a deeper dive in our related article about all-things Medicare Initial Enrollment Period.
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Do I Need To Notify Social Security When I Turn 65
This means that you may delay enrolling in Medicare Part B without having to wait for a general enrollment period and paying the penalty for late enrollment. There are limits, so we strongly advise you to contact Social Security up to three months before your 65th birthday if you are unsure of your situation.
When Should I Enroll In Medicare For The First Time
Most people enroll in Medicare for the first time around age 65. Some people may qualify to enroll in Medicare earlier than age 65 with a qualifying disability or medical condition. If you become eligible for Medicare due to age or disability, you will have a 7-month Initial Enrollment Period. The rules for enrolling are different if you are enrolling due to a qualifying medical condition.
The Medicare Initial Enrollment Period
You can enroll in Medicare for the first time due to age or disability during what’s known as the Medicare Initial Enrollment Period.
Enrolling in Medicare at 65
Around age 65 you have your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period . It is 7 months long and includes your 65th birthday month, the 3 months before and the 3 months after. During this time, you can enroll in Medicare Part A, Part B, Medicare Advantage and Part D without penalty.
Video transcript
Blue text appears in the center of a beige background. Animated calendar pages are strewn in the corners of the screen.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Important Medicare Dates & Timelines
ON SCREEN TEXT:
More blue text appears at the top of the screen. White and black text on colorful cards fan out in a list beneath the blue text.
ON SCREEN TEXT: Keep these important Medicare dates in mind
ON SCREEN TEXT: Annual Enrollment Period October 15 – December 7
Initial Enrollment PeriodDates vary by person, 7 months
Special Enrollment Period Dates vary by person, 2-8 months
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Speak With A Licensed Insurance Agent
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1 10-minute claim is based solely on the time to complete the e-application if you have your Medicare card and other pertinent information available when you apply. The time to shop for plans, compare rates, and estimate drug costs is not factored into the claim. Application time could be longer. Actual time to enroll will depend on the consumer and their plan comparison needs.
About the author
Christian Worstell is a licensed insurance agent and a Senior Staff Writer for MedicareAdvantage.com. He is passionate about helping people navigate the complexities of Medicare and understand their coverage options.
His work has been featured in outlets such as Vox, MSN, and The Washington Post, and he is a frequent contributor to health care and finance blogs.
Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelors degree in journalism. He currently lives in Raleigh, NC.
Where you’ve seen coverage of Christian’s research and reports:
Plan availability varies by region and state. For a complete list of available plans, please contact 1-800-MEDICARE , 24 hours a day/7 days a week or consult www.medicare.gov.
During A Special Enrollment Period
This SEP is available only if you have health insurance from an employer for which you or your spouse actively works. It allows you to delay enrolling in Part B until the employment or the coverage ends whichever occurs first.
The SEP actually lasts throughout the time you have coverage from current employment and for up to eight months after it ends. If you enroll at any point during this time frame, your Medicare coverage will begin on the first day of the following month, and you will not be liable for late penalties regardless of how old you are when you finally sign up.
Be aware that an IEP always trumps an SEP if the two should happen to overlap. For example, if your IEP ends on Aug. 31, and you retire on the same date, you will not be entitled to an SEP. Therefore, if you delayed enrollment until after Aug. 31, you would not be able to sign up until the following general enrollment period and your coverage would not begin until July 1 so you would be left for almost a year without coverage. Even if you signed up during the final months of your IEP, your coverage would still be delayed by two or three months. But, to continue this example, if you retired on Sept. 1, under the rules of the SEP, you could enroll in August and receive Medicare starting Sept. 1 with no loss of coverage.
Two other Medicare enrollment scenarios have different rules.
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Do I Need To Get Medicare Drug Coverage
As long as you have , you can wait to join a Medicare drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage. If youre not sure, ask your drug plan if its creditable drug coverage.
Each year your plan must tell you if your non-Medicare drug coverage is creditable coverage. Keep this information you may need it when youre ready to join a Medicare drug plan.
You can join a plan anytime while you have job-based health insurance, and up to 2 months after you lose that insurance.
andbefore
Even if you have a Special Enrollment Period to join a plan after you first get Medicare, you might have to pay the Part D late enrollment penalty. To avoid the Part D late enrollment penalty, dont go 63 days or more in a row without Medicare drug coverage or other creditable drug coverage.
What Happens If You Dont Sign Up For Medicare At 65
If you wait until the month you turn 65 to enroll, your Part B coverage will be delayed. This could cause a gap in your coverage. In most cases, if you dont sign up for Medicare Part B when you re first eligible, you ll have to pay a late enrollment penalty.
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When To Sign Up For Medicare Part B
If youre retiring, the best time to enroll in Part B is during your Initial Enrollment Period. For those still working past 65, check with your health administrators whether your employer coverage is creditable.
If it is, you can enroll in Part B when you retire or leave your group health plan. Youll be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period when you can enroll without any penalties. If your group health plan is not considered creditable coverage, then you should register for Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period.
If you missed your Initial Enrollment Period, the next enrollment window you can enroll in Part A and Part B is the General Enrollment Period.
The Window This Year Is From Oct 15 To Dec 7
Medicare provides health care coverage for many Americans over the age of 65. An estimated 63.3 million people were enrolled in Medicare Part A or B, while another 26.7 million had a private Medicare Advantage plan as of July 2021. The annual Medicare open enrollment period offers an opportunity for recipients to make updates to their coverage. Knowing when the Medicare open enrollment window opens and closes is important for managing coverage year to year.
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What Is Medicare Open Enrollment
Medicare open enrollment is a designated window of time each year when individuals can make changes to their Medicare coverage.
Open enrollment is primarily for people who already have Medicare. New applicants should sign up during their initial enrollment period, which starts three months before they turn 65 and ends three months after the month they turn 65. If they miss their initial enrollment period, they can sign up during open enrollment.
The fall open enrollment period for Medicare begins Oct. 15 and runs through Dec. 7 in 2021. This enrollment period is open to people who are covered by:
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
- Original Medicare
A separate Medicare open enrollment period applies to people who are covered by a Medicare Advantage plan . The open enrollment period for Medicare Advantage plans runs from Jan. 1 to March 31 each year.
What Is The Medicare Advantage Plan Initial Coverage Election Period
Most beneficiaries are first eligible to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan during the Initial Coverage Election Period. Unless you delay Medicare Part B enrollment, this enrollment period takes place at the same time as your Initial Enrollment Period , starting three months before you have both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B and ending on whichever of the following dates falls later:
- The last day of the month before you have both Medicare Part A and Part B, or
- The last day of your Medicare Part B Initial Enrollment Period.
If youre under 65 and eligible for Medicare due to disability, your IEP will vary depending on when your disability benefits started.
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Can A 62 Year Old Get Medicaid
Yes. Medicaid qualification is based on income, not age. While Medicaid eligibility differs from one state to another, it is typically available to people of lower incomes and resources including pregnant women, the disabled, the elderly and children.
Learn more about the difference between Medicare and Medicaid.
Medicare Enrollment Periods: When To Sign Up
When to join a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
Its important for you to know when to sign up for Medicare or when to join a Medicare plan. Remember these times so you get the most out of your Medicare and avoid late enrollment penalties:
- Initial Medicare Enrollment Period: Most people get Medicare Part A and Part B during this period. It starts 3 months before you turn 65 and ends 3 months after you turn 65. If youre not already collecting Social Security benefits before your Initial Enrollment Period starts, youll need to sign up for Medicare online or contact Social Security.To get the most from your Medicare and avoid the Part B late enrollment penalty, complete your Medicare enrollment application during your Initial Enrollment Period. This lifetime penalty gets added to your monthly Part B premium, and it goes up the longer you wait to sign up. Find out if you should get Part B based on your situation.
- General Medicare Enrollment Period: If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period, you can sign up during Medicares General Enrollment Period , and your coverage will start July 1.
- Special Enrollment Period: Once your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you may have the chance to sign up for Medicare during a Special Enrollment Period . You can sign up for Part A and or Part B during an SEP if you have special circumstances.
When to join a Medicare Advantage Plan or Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
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Medicare Eligibility Before Age 65
If youre under 65 years old, you might be eligible for Medicare:
- If you receive disability benefits from Social Security or certain disability benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board for at least 24 months in a row
- If you have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- If you have end-stage renal disease . ESRD is permanent damage to the kidneys that requires regular dialysis or a kidney transplant
If youre eligible for Medicare because of any of these circumstances, you may receive health insurance through Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B , which make up Original Medicare. Your enrollment in Medicare may or may not be automatic, as explained below.
