When Do I Apply For Medicare Benefits

What Does It Mean To Be 100% Disabled In The Va

Do I Have to Apply for Medicare?

The VA acknowledges our military Veterans, who are 100% disabled differently than other Veterans. While no one would argue being 100% disabled is a good thing physically, having this rating provides some national and state-specific perks. Here are some of the special benefits that Veterans who are deemed 100% disabled receive.

When Do I Sign Up For Medicare Advantage

Before you sign up for Medicare Advantage, make sure you weigh the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplements. If you choose to sign up for Medicare Advantage, you can do so during your IEP.

If you missed your IEP, you can join during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period. For those currently enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan, you also have another opportunity to make changes during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period.

If Your Income Has Gone Down

If your income has gone down due to any of the following situations, and the change makes a difference in the income level we consider, contact us to explain that you have new information and may need a new decision about your income-related monthly adjustment amount:

You married, divorced, or became widowed.

You or your spouse stopped working or reduced your work hours.
You or your spouse lost income-producing property because of a disaster or other event beyond your control.
You or your spouse experienced a scheduled cessation, termination, or reorganization of an employers pension plan.

You or your spouse received a settlement from an employer or former employer because of the employers closure, bankruptcy, or reorganization.

If any of the above applies to you, we need to see documentation verifying the event and the reduction in your income. The documentation you provide should relate to the event and may include a death certificate, a letter from your employer about your retirement, or something similar. If you filed a federal income tax return for the year in question, you need to show us your signed copy of the return. Use Form Medicare Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount Life-Changing Event to report a major life-changing event. If your income has gone down, you may also use Form SSA-44 to request a reduction in your income-related monthly adjustment amount.

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Signing Up For Premium

You can sign up for Part A any time after you turn 65. Your Part A coverage starts 6 months back from when you sign up or when you apply for benefits from Social Security . Coverage cant start earlier than the month you turned 65.

After your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you can only sign up for Part B and Premium-Part A during one of the other enrollment periods.

Are There Penalties If I Do Not Sign Up For Medicare By A Certain Time

Where do I apply for Medicare benefits? : Medicare Insurance

It depends. The enrollment period for Medicare lasts 7 months. It begins three months prior to your 65th birthday and lasts for three months after your 65th birthday. There are opportunities to sign up after this window, but you risk being charged permanently higher premiums, unless you qualify for a special enrollment period. If you are still covered by a group health plan provided by your or your spouse’s employer when you turn 65, you may qualify for a special enrollment period.

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Are Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans Part Of My Medicare Benefits

Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans are private insurance plans you can buy to supplement your Medicare benefits under Medicare Part A and Part B. These plans only work with Original Medicare and cant be used for prescription drugs or with Medicare Advantage plans.

Depending on the plan you choose, it pays some or all of your coinsurance and copayment amounts under Part A and Part B, and your Part A deductible. Depending on when you are first eligible for Medicare you may not be able to get a plan covering your Part B deductible.

Although Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans arent a mandatory part of your Medicare benefits, you do have guaranteed issue rights to buy a plan during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This is the six-month period that begins the month you are both age 65 or over and enrolled in Part B. During that time, you can buy any plan sold in your state and you cant be charged a higher premium based on your health status.

If you dont buy during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you may have to pass medical underwriting and the insurance company can refuse to sell you a plan.

To find a Medicare Advantage, Medicare prescription drug plan, or Medicare Supplement Insurance Plan in your area, enter your ZIP code on this page.

Find Plans in your area instantly!

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

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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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.

Special Circumstances: Medicare With Als Or End

How Do I Apply for Medicare?

Medicare eligibility rules for people with ALS or end-stage renal disease are different. Individuals who qualify for Medicare with ALS or ESRD do not have to wait for your 25th month of disability to be eligible for Medicare.

If you qualify with ALS: You will automatically get Medicare Part A and Part B the month your disability benefits begin. 7

If you qualify with ESRD:8

For most people, Medicare coverage will start on the 1st day of the 4th month of dialysis treatment.

If you have an employer group health plan, Medicare will begin on the fourth month of dialysis.
Treatments if you have employer coverage.
If you participate in an at-home dialysis training program, your coverage may begin the first month of a regular course of dialysis provided the following are true:

You participated in training from a Medicare-approved training facility for the first three months of your regular dialysis
Your doctor expects you to finish training and be able to do your dialysis treatments yourself

Note, according to Medicare in order to qualify with ESRD all of the below must apply:9

For further information related to ALS and Medicare, visit www.alsa.org.

For further information related to ESRD and Medicare, visit www.medicare.gov.

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When Should You Apply For Medicare

In most cases, you should apply for Medicare as soon as you’re eligible. The initial enrollment period starts three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birth month, and extends three months past the month you turn 65, giving you a seven-month window to apply. Your Part B coverage will likely be delayed if you enroll the month you turn 65 , so apply early to avoid a gap in coverage.

Medicare imposes a hefty late enrollment penalty if you enroll in Part B or D after the initial enrollment period and don’t qualify for a special enrollment period .You might qualify for a SEP if you have coverage, including creditable drug coverage from an employer or a union . Medicare does not charge a late enrollment penalty for enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare Supplement plan after IEP. But it’s best to apply for Medigap as soon as you’re eligibleif you apply within the first six months of having Part B coverage, you can’t be denied a Medigap policy or be required to pay more because of health conditions. Here’s how enrollment works depending on whether or not you already receive Social Security benefits.

If you already receive Social Security benefits:

You should also check out the Medicare Enrollment Booklet which contains clear, concise information about both Medicare Part A and Part B.

If you are not yet receiving Social Security benefits:

When to get prescription drug coverage:

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When Is The Medicare Part D Annual Election Period

If you did not enroll in prescription drug coverage during IEP, you can sign up for prescription drug coverage during the Annual Election Period that runs every year from October 15 to December 7.

During AEP, you can:

Drop a Medicare prescription drug plan.
Join a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage.
Switch from a Medicare Advantage plan that doesnt include prescription drug coverage to a Medicare Advantage plan that does .

Outside of the Part D Initial Enrollment Period and the Annual Election Period, usually the only time you can make changes to prescription drug coverage without a qualifying Special Election Period is during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period but only if you are dropping Medicare Advantage coverage and switching back to Original Medicare. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs from January 1 to March 31.

Medicare Part A and Part B do not include prescription drug coverage, and if you switch back to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, you will have until March 31 to join a stand-alone Medicare prescription drug plan.

Can I Apply For Medicare Online

If you are approaching Medicare eligibility, you may have questions about how to sign up to receive your benefits. Fortunately, you have more convenient options than making an appointment with a representative and driving to your local Social Security Administration office. Learn how to enroll in Medicare the easy wayonline. Applying online allows you to start and stop the application with your information saved, make corrections prior to submission, receive an online receipt for your records, and check your application status online.

Find affordable Medicare plans in your area

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Your First Chance To Sign Up

Generally, when you turn 65. This is called your Initial Enrollment Period. It lasts for 7 months, starting 3 months before you turn 65, and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65.

Avoid the penaltyIf you miss your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, you may have to wait to sign up and pay a monthly late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B coverage. The penalty goes up the longer you wait. You may also have to pay a penalty if you have to pay a Part A premium, also called Premium-Part A.

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

If you have Medicare due to a disability or ALS , youll already have Part A .
Youll pay a monthly premium for Part B , so you may want to wait to sign up for Part B.

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Medicare Faqs And Information To Consider

Automatic Enrollment:

If you are already receiving Social Security benefits, Railroad Retirement benefits, or Federal Retiree benefits, your enrollment in Medicare is automatic. Your Medicare card should arrive in the mail shortly before your 65th birthday. Check the card when you receive it to verify that you are entitled to both Medicare Parts A and B.

Initial Enrollment Period:

If you are not eligible for Automatic Enrollment, contact the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or enroll online at www.socialsecurity.gov, or visit the nearest Social Security office to enroll in Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. You have a seven month window in which to enroll in Medicare without incurring a penalty. If youre not automatically enrolled in premium-free Part A, you can sign up for it once your Initial Enrollment Period starts. Your Part A coverage will start six months back from the date you apply for Medicare, but no earlier than the first month you were eligible for Medicare. However, you can only sign up for Part B during the times listed below.

General Enrollment Period:

General Enrollment Period for Medicare Parts A & B

If you have coverage through a current employer, you are not required to enroll in Medicare Part A and B. Below are some things to keep in mind about each part of Medicare.

How Do I Know Im Enrolled In Medicare

How To Apply For Medicare | How To Sign Up For Medicare Online

After you apply for Medicare, Social Security will review and process your application. Theyll contact you if they need more information.

When youre approved for Medicare Part A and/or Part B, Social Security will send you a welcome packet that includes the following:

Your confirmation letter

Your red, white and blue Medicare ID card
A Welcome to Medicare booklet that walks you through decisions you may have to make with your Medicare coverage
The Medicare & You handbook

If youve applied for a private Medicare plan such as a Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost, Medigap or Medicare Prescription Drug plan, when your enrollment is accepted youll get a separate confirmation letter and ID card.

Medicare helps pay for your health care costs and covers preventive care including a visit with your doctor each year. So once you get Medicare Part B, schedule your initial Welcome to Medicare visit with your doctor. And each year you get an Annual Wellness Visit with your doctor.

For more helpful tips, review this checklist, how to use Medicare your first year.

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When To Enroll In Medicare If I Am Receiving Disability Benefits

If you are under 65 and receiving certain disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you will be automatically enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, after 24 months of disability benefits. The exception to this is if you have end-stage renal disease . If you have ESRD and had a kidney transplant or need regular kidney dialysis, you can apply for Medicare. If you have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , you will automatically be enrolled in Original Medicare in the same month that your disability benefits start

When Is My Medicare Initial Enrollment Period

For most people, enrolling in Medicare Part A is automatic. However, there are several instances where you may have to manually enroll in Medicare Part A and/or Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period , the seven-month period that begins three months before you turn 65, includes the month of your 65th birthday, and ends three months later.

Some situations where you would enroll in Medicare during your initial enrollment include:

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You Automatically Get Medicare When You Turn 65

Well mail you a welcome package with your Medicare card 3 months before your Medicare coverage starts.

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 of turning 65, you might have to wait to sign up and pay a monthly late enrollment penalty.