How Early Can You Get Medicare Benefits

Monthly Medicare Premiums For 2022

The standard Part B premium for 2022 is $170.10. If youre single and filed an individual tax return, or married and filed a joint tax return, the following chart applies to you:

Will I Get My Spouses Medicare If I Retire At Age 62

No. Even if your spouse has Medicare when you retire at 62, you arenât eligible for Medicare until you turn 65 .

If you retire before age 65, you may be able to continue to get health insurance through your employer, or you can purchase coverage from a private insurance company in the meantime.

Turning 65 What You Need To Know To Sign Up For Medicare

The first of the 78 million baby boomers turned 65 on January 1, 2011, and some 10,000 boomers a day will reportedly reach that milestone between now and 2030. If you are about to turn 65, then it is time to think about Medicare.

You become eligible for Medicare at age 65, and delaying your enrollment can result in penalties, so it is important to act right away.

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Medicare Part A, B, C, and D

There are a number of different options to consider when signing up for Medicare. Medicare consists of four major programs: Part A covers hospital stays, Part B covers physician fees, Part C permits Medicare beneficiaries to receive their medical care from among a number of delivery options, and Part D covers prescription medications.

In addition, Medigap policies offer additional coverage to individuals enrolled in Parts A and B.

Enrolling in Medicare

Medicare enrollment begins three months before your 65th birthday and continues for 7 months. If you are currently receiving Social Security benefits, you don’t need to do anything. You will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B effective the month you turn 65.

If you do not receive Social Security benefits, then you will need to sign up for Medicare by calling the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or online. It is best to do it as early as possible so your coverage begins as soon as you turn 65.

Medicare When You Are Not Yet Retired

More on Medicare Part B

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Signing Up For Medicare Supplement Plans

As long as you have Medicare Part A and Part B, you can sign up for a Medicare Supplement plan anytime. However, your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period is the best time to enroll.

You can enroll in any Medicare Supplement plan when you become eligible, with no health underwriting questions during the Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment Period. Thus, you will not face denial due to pre-existing health conditions. Read more about Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment.

Find A $0 Premium Medicare Advantage Plan Today

For California residents, CA-Do Not Sell My Personal Info, .

MedicareAdvantage.com is a website owned and operated by TZ Insurance Solutions LLC. TZ Insurance Solutions LLC and TruBridge, Inc. represent Medicare Advantage Organizations and Prescription Drug Plans having Medicare contracts enrollment in any plan depends upon contract renewal.

The purpose of this communication is the solicitation of insurance. Callers will be directed to a licensed insurance agent with TZ Insurance Solutions LLC, TruBridge, Inc. and/or a third-party partner who can provide more information about Medicare Advantage Plans offered by one or several Medicare-contracted carrier. TZ Insurance Solutions LLC, TruBridge, Inc., and the licensed sales agents that may call you are not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or the federal Medicare program.

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.

Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information.

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How To Apply For Medicare

Many factors determine when you can apply and sign up for Medicare. For most, the first time you can apply for Medicare is when you turn 65. However, there are instances where you can become eligible for Medicare before age 65.

Signing up for Medicare is simple. Three months before the month of your 65th birthday, your initial enrollment window will open. This initial enrollment period lasts through your birthday month and ends on the last day of the third month following.

In total, your initial enrollment period lasts seven full months. This is a once-in-a-lifetime enrollment window that you do not want to miss.

If, for any reason, you happen to miss it, there are other opportunities to enroll. Keep in mind that no part of Medicare is mandatory. However, if you do not sign up when you are first eligible, you could incur Medicare late enrollment penalties when you eventually sign up. The only way around the late enrollment penalties that result from delaying Medicare enrollment is to have .

When To Enroll In Medicare

7 months

3 months before you turn 65

You can start enrolling in Medicare 3 months before your 65th birthday. Youll need to be eligible for Part A and Part B before you can get Part C . Youll need Part A, Part B, or both before you can get Part D.

Step 1 Learn about your Medicare benefits

As soon as possible, visit SocialSecurity.gov or call Social Security at , 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, to learn about your Part A and Part B benefits. The answers to these questions will help you enroll.

• Will I get Part A at no cost? Typically, you can get Part A at no cost if you or your spouse paid into Medicare for at least 10 years. If not, you can buy it.
• Do I need to enroll in Part A and Part B? Find out if youll be automatically enrolled in Part A and Part B, or if you should sign up.
• How will Social Security bill me for my Medicare premiums? The monthly premium is automatically deducted from your Social Security check each month. If youre not collecting Social Security, youll get a bill from the federal government every 3 months.
• When will I get my Medicare card? The federal government will mail your red, white, and blue Medicare card after youre enrolled. You should get it 3 months before your 65th birthday if you’re automatically enrolled. If you need to enroll in Part A and Part B, it can take up to 2 months to get your Medicare card.

Note: You need the information on your Medicare card to sign up for Part C or Part D.

Step 2 Enroll in Part A and Part B

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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?

What Can I Do Next

Generally, youre first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65.

Because the company has less than 20 employees, your job-based coverage might not pay for health services if you dont have both Part A and Part B.

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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.

Medicare Eligibility For People Under 62

There are a few exceptions for Medicare age limits that can allow people younger than 65 and under age 62 to enroll in Medicare.

• If you have ALS , you are immediately eligible for Medicare regardless of your age as soon as your Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board disability benefits begin.
• You may also qualify for Medicare if you have kidney failure that requires dialysis or a kidney transplant, which is known as end-stage renal disease .
• You may also qualify for Medicare at age 62 or any age before 65 if you receive disability benefits from either Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board for at least 24 months.

If you qualify for Medicare under the age of 65 because of a disability, you might also qualify for a Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plan.

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When Can You Enroll In Medicare For The First Time

Video transcript

Upbeat music plays. An illustrated hand holding a Medicare card reaches into view against a blue background. Text appears beside it as a narrator speaks in voiceover.

ONSCREEN TEXT: When Can You

Enroll in Medicare

For the First Time?

NARRATOR: There are certain Medicare periods when you can enroll for the first time.

Seven calendars appear arranged in a row. The middle calendar has a picture of a birthday cake.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Medicare Initial Enrollment Period

Dates vary by person,

7 months long

NARRATOR: Your first opportunity to enroll in Medicare is during the initial enrollment period. Dates vary by person, but the period lasts seven months for most. It begins three months before the month of your sixty-fifth birthday, and ends three months after.

Four labeled icons appear in a row: an icon of a bed, labeled Medicare Part A an icon of a stethoscope, labeled Medicare Part B an icon of a bed and stethoscope, labeled Medicare Part C and an icon of a prescription pill bottle labeled Medicare Part D.

NARRATOR: During this time, you in Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C, and Part D.

Three calendars appear in a row.

ONSCREEN TEXT: General Enrollment Period

To enroll in Medicare Parts A & B

NARRATOR: If you miss your initial enrollment, your next opportunity to enroll in Medicare is during the general enrollment period, which begins January first and ends March thirty-first for Medicare Part A, and Part B.

ONSCREEN TEXT: Special Enrollment Period:

Canceling Your Marketplace Plan When You Become Eligible For Medicare

In most cases, if you have a Marketplace plan when you become eligible for Medicare, youll want to end your Marketplace coverage.

IMPORTANT

Don’t end your Marketplace plan until you know for sure when your new coverage starts. Once you end Marketplace coverage, you cant re-enroll until the next annual Open Enrollment Period .

Your Medicare coverage start date depends on your situation.

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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, your coverage will begin the first day of the month after you turn 65. If you join in the month after you turn 65, coverage will begin 2 months later, and if you join 2 or 3 months after you turn 65, coverage will begin 3 months later. A recent change in law limits these gaps in coverage. Starting in 2023, if you enroll in Medicare during the first 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.

When & How Do I Sign Up For Medicare

You can sign up anytime while you are still working and you have health insurance through that employer. You also have 8 months after you stop working to sign up.

• Your 8-month Special Enrollment Period starts when you stop working, even if you choose COBRA or other coverage thats not Medicare.
• Your coverage will start the month after Social Security gets your completed forms.

Youll need to have your employer fill out a Form CMS-L564 . If the employer cant fill it out, complete Section B of the form as best you can, but dont sign it. Youll need to submit proof of job-based health insurance when you sign up.

The way you sign up depends on if you already have Part A coverage or if youre signing up for both Part A and Part B. Get forms and ways to sign up.

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverage

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Should I Sign Up For Medical Insurance

With our online application, you can sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. Because you must pay a premium for Part B coverage, you can turn it down.

If youre eligible at age 65, your Initial Enrollment Period begins three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month you turn age 65, and ends three months after that birthday.

Note: Important Upcoming Change Rules for 2023 and later: If you accept the automatic enrollment in Medicare Part B or if you sign up during the first three months of your IEP, your coverage will start the month youre first eligible. Beginning January 1, 2023, if you sign up during the month you turn 65 or during the last three months of your IEP, your coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.

The following chart shows when your Medicare Part B becomes effective in 2022:

The following chart shows when your Medicare Part B becomes effective in 2023:

Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans are sold by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. All people new to Medicare have a seven-month window to enroll in a PDP three months before, the month of and three months after their Medicare becomes effective. The month you enroll affects the PDPs effective date. All people with Medicare are eligible to enroll in a PDP however, unless you are new to Medicare or are entitled to a Special Enrollment Period, you must enroll or change plans during the Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D, Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. There is a monthly premium for these plans. If you have limited income and assets/resources, assistance is available to help pay premiums, deductibles and co-payments. You may be entitled to Extra Help through the Social Security Administration. To apply for this benefit contact SHIIP at 1-855-408-1212 or the Social Security Administration at 800-772-1213 or www.socialsecurity.gov.

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How Do I Enroll In A Medicare Advantage Plan

Medicare Advantage Plans are health care options provided under Medicare Part C of the Medicare program. These plans are approved by Medicare but sold and serviced by private companies. There are several plan options available under Medicare Advantage such as managed care plans that involve a provider network to those that are specially designed for people with certain chronic diseases and other specialized health needs and some that may or may not have a provider network requirement. Most Medicare Advantage plans include Medicare prescription drug coverage.

For assistance with Medicare Advantage Plans comparisons and enrollments, please call our team of Medicare specialists at 1-855-408-1212 or you may log onto MyMedicare.gov to shop for Medicare Advantage Plans available in your area.

To enroll in any Medicare Advantage plan option you must have both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. Once you enroll into a Medicare Advantage plan, you will not use your Original Medicare card as your Medicare Advantage plan will replace Original Medicare. Instead the Medicare Advantage plan will provide you with a member ID card to use when visiting your medical provider. Please note, you will continue to pay the Medicare Part B premium, and you might also have to pay an additional monthly premium charged by the Medicare Advantage plan.