How to enroll in Medicare
The process for enrolling in Medicare varies depending on your circumstances. Some beneficiaries are automatically enrolled, while others need to manually enroll. Additionally, enrolling in Original Medicare (Parts A and B) differs from enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare Supplement Plan.
Here’s what you need to know about the enrollment process.
Automatic enrollment
Automatic enrollment into Medicare Parts A and B will apply to you in the following circumstances:[5]
You already receive Social Security retirement benefits. Coverage will automatically begin on the first day of the month you turn 65.
You have been receiving Social Security disability benefits (SSDI) for 24 months. You’ll automatically receive Medicare Parts A and B benefits on the first day of the 25th month of receiving SSDI benefits.
You have ALS. You’ll be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B in the same month that you begin receiving SSDI benefits.
Good to Know
Generally, the Medicare premiums will be deducted from your Social Security benefits when you’re automatically enrolled. You’ll receive your Medicare card in the mail three months before your 65th birthday, or one month before your 25th month of SSDI benefits.
What to do if you’re not automatically enrolled
If you don’t receive Social Security disability benefits or retirement benefits prior to age 65, you won’t be automatically enrolled in Medicare. You need to sign up manually. However, Medicare sends a welcome package with all the information you need to enroll.[6]
You can start your application online to sign up for Medicare through the Social Security Administration, or call a representative at 1 (800) 772-1213. The welcome package will explain in detail how to enroll if you file for your retirement benefits when you turn 65, or later.
When you can start a Medicare Advantage plan
A Medicare Advantage plan, sometimes referred to as Medicare Part C, allows you to get all the insurance included in Original Medicare through a private insurer.
If you’re new to Medicare Advantage plans, you can enroll during one of these enrollment periods:
Initial enrollment period: If you ask to join a plan before your Medicare coverage starts, your plan coverage will begin on the same day as your Medicare starts. If you ask to join a plan during this period but after your Medicare coverage has started, the plan coverage begins the first day of the month after the insurer receives your request.
Open enrollment: This period spans from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 every year. Coverage begins on Jan. 1 of the following year.
Important Information
If you’re already covered by a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another plan or drop your plan and go back to Original Medicare during the Medicare Advantage open enrollment period from Jan. 1 to March 31 of each year. Alternatively, you can switch or drop your Medicare Advantage plan in the first three months after you get Medicare. Coverage begins on the first of the month following your request.[7]
Read More: What Is Medicare Advantage and Is It Right for You?
When to start a Medicare supplement plan
Medicare supplement, or Medigap, plans help you pay for some of the costs Medicare doesn’t cover, such as deductibles, copayments, and co-insurance. You can’t have a Medicare Advantage plan and a Medicare supplement plan at the same time.
To be eligible for a Medicare supplement plan, you must be enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. Medigap plans have a six-month open enrollment period that starts on the first day of the month in which you are both over the age of 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B.[8] During this window, you can purchase any Medigap policy offered by insurance companies that service your area. If you miss this window, insurers can decide whether they will insure you and how much to charge you.
What is the late enrollment penalty?
If you don’t enroll during your initial enrollment period, you may face a late enrollment penalty. This penalty adds 10% to the cost of your Part A monthly premiums for every year that you were eligible to enroll and didn’t.
If you’re not eligible for premium-free Part A coverage, this penalty will last for twice the number of years that you were eligible but didn’t enroll. If you’re eligible for premium-free Part A, there’s no penalty. The late enrollment penalty for Part B is also a 10% increase on your monthly premiums, but it’s a lifetime penalty.
See Also: Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage: Which Plan Is Best for You?