Applying for Medicare
How to enroll in Medicare if you are turning 65
Most people become eligible for Medicare when they turn 65. Your Medicare enrollment steps will differ depending on whether or not you are collecting retirement benefits when you enter your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP).
- If you are receiving Social Security retirement benefits or Railroad Retirement benefits, you should be automatically enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B.
- If you are not receiving Social Security retirement benefits or Railroad Retirement benefits, you will need to actively enroll in Medicare.
If you are eligible for automatic enrollment, you should not have to
contact anyone. You should receive a package in the mail three months
before your coverage starts with your new Medicare card. There will also
be a letter explaining how Medicare works and that you were
automatically enrolled in both Parts A and B. If you get Social Security
retirement benefits, your package and card will come from the Social
Security Administration (SSA). If you get Railroad Retirement benefits,
your package and card will come from the Railroad Retirement Board.
Typically, you should not turn down Part B unless you have insurance
based on your or your spouse’s current work (job-based insurance). If
you do not have job-based insurance and you turn down Part B, you may
incur a premium penalty if you need to sign up for Medicare coverage in
the future. Also, if your job-based insurance will pay secondary after
you become eligible for Medicare, you should consider enrolling in
Medicare in order to have primary coverage and pay less for your
care.
If you are 65 but are not receiving Social Security retirement benefits
or Railroad Retirement benefits, you will need to actively enroll in
Medicare.
Signing up for Medicare
Follow the steps below if you need to actively enroll in Medicare.
If you decide to enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment
Period, you can sign up for Parts A and/or B by:
- Visiting your local Social Security office
- Calling Social Security at 800-772-1213
- Mailing a signed and dated letter to Social Security that includes your name, Social Security number, and the date you would like to be enrolled in Medicare
- Or, by applying online at www.ssa.gov
If you are eligible for Railroad Retirement benefits, enroll in Medicare
by calling the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) or contacting your local
RRB field office.
Keep proof of when you tried to enroll in Medicare, to protect yourself
from incurring a Part B premium penalty if your application is lost.
- Take down the names of any representatives you speak to, along with the time and date of the conversation.
- If you enroll through the mail, use certified mail and request a return receipt.
- If you enroll at your local Social Security office, ask for a written receipt.
- If you apply online, print out and save your confirmation page.
Medicare Advantage Plans
Do you have fairly frequent doctor or hospital visits? If so, you may
already know
that Medicare Part A and Part B come with out-of-pocket costs you have
to pay. You
might be able to save money with a Medicare Supplement insurance plan.
Medicare
Supplement, or Medigap, insurance plans fill in “gaps” in basic benefits
left behind
by Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, such as deductibles,
coinsurance, and
copayments.
In 47 states, there are up to 10 standardized Medicare Supplement
insurance plans
that are denoted by the letters A through N (plans E, H, I, and J are no
longer
sold). The private insurance companies offering these plans do not have
to offer
every Medicare Supplement plan, but they must offer at least Plan
A.
Please note that although the names may sound similar, the “parts” of
Medicare, such
as Part A and Part B, are not the same as Medigap Plan A, Plan B, etc.
Medicare Supplement insurance plan basic benefits
Each Medicare Supplement insurance plan offers a different level of basic
benefits,
but each lettered plan must include the same standardized basic benefits
regardless
of insurance company and location. For example, Medicare Supplement Plan
G in
Florida includes the same basic benefits as Plan G in North Dakota.
Please note that
if you live in Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, your Medicare
Supplement
insurance plan options are different than in the rest of the country.
Medicare
Supplement insurance plans do not have to cover vision, dental,
long-term care, or
hearing aids, but all plans must cover at least a portion of the
following basic
benefits:
- Medicare Part A coinsurance costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
- Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayments
- First three pints of blood used in a medical procedure
Some plans include additional basic benefits. For example, Medicare Supplement Plan F*, the most comprehensive standardized Medigap insurance plan, carries the following additional benefits:
- Medicare Part A deductible
- Medicare Part B deductible*
- Part B excess charges
- Part B preventive care coinsurance
- Foreign travel emergency care (80% of Medicare-approved costs, up to plan limits)
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) care coinsurance Some plans may include additional innovative benefits.
*Medicare Supplement plans that may cover the Medicare Part B deductible – Medicare Supplement Plans C and F – will be phased out. If you’re not eligible for Medicare until January 1, 2020 or later, you won’t be able to buy Plan C or Plan F. You won’t generally have to give up your Plan C or Plan F if you already have one. If you’re eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, you might be able to buy Plan C or Plan F.
Medicare Part D
Do you have fairly frequent doctor or hospital visits? If so, you may
already know
that Medicare Part A and Part B come with out-of-pocket costs you have
to pay. You
might be able to save money with a Medicare Supplement insurance plan.
Medicare
Supplement, or Medigap, insurance plans fill in “gaps” in basic benefits
left behind
by Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, such as deductibles,
coinsurance, and
copayments.
In 47 states, there are up to 10 standardized Medicare Supplement
insurance plans
that are denoted by the letters A through N (plans E, H, I, and J are no
longer
sold). The private insurance companies offering these plans do not have
to offer
every Medicare Supplement plan, but they must offer at least Plan
A.
Please note that although the names may sound similar, the “parts” of
Medicare, such
as Part A and Part B, are not the same as Medigap Plan A, Plan B, etc.
Medicare Supplement insurance plan basic benefits
Each Medicare Supplement insurance plan offers a different level of basic
benefits,
but each lettered plan must include the same standardized basic benefits
regardless
of insurance company and location. For example, Medicare Supplement Plan
G in
Florida includes the same basic benefits as Plan G in North Dakota.
Please note that
if you live in Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Wisconsin, your Medicare
Supplement
insurance plan options are different than in the rest of the country.
Medicare
Supplement insurance plans do not have to cover vision, dental,
long-term care, or
hearing aids, but all plans must cover at least a portion of the
following basic
benefits:
- Medicare Part A coinsurance costs up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
- Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayments
- First three pints of blood used in a medical procedure
Some plans include additional basic benefits. For example, Medicare Supplement Plan F*, the most comprehensive standardized Medigap insurance plan, carries the following additional benefits:
- Medicare Part A deductible
- Medicare Part B deductible*
- Part B excess charges
- Part B preventive care coinsurance
- Foreign travel emergency care (80% of Medicare-approved costs, up to plan limits)
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) care coinsurance Some plans may include additional innovative benefits.
*Medicare Supplement plans that may cover the Medicare Part B deductible – Medicare Supplement Plans C and F – will be phased out. If you’re not eligible for Medicare until January 1, 2020 or later, you won’t be able to buy Plan C or Plan F. You won’t generally have to give up your Plan C or Plan F if you already have one. If you’re eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, you might be able to buy Plan C or Plan F.