When should I apply for Medicare?

Determining when to apply for Medicare can be confusing and hard, especially when you don’t have enough knowledge of the program. We walk hundreds of people through the process of signing up for Medicare every year.

Some people are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B if:

  • Already receiving retirement benefits from the social security administration
  • Already receiving retirement from the railroad retirement board

 

If you are automatically signed up for Medicare, your Medicare card will be mailed to you approximately 3-7 weeks before your 65 th birthday and your Medicare benefits will start on the first day of the month your turn 65.
If your birthday is on the 1 st of the month, then your Medicare benefits will start on the first day of the previous month.

In the other hand, if you don’t get Medicare automatically, you will need to apply for Medicare part A and Part B manually by submitting a Medicare application yourself using one of the following methods:

  • Apply in person at your local social security office
  • Visit the social security website
  • Call the social security at 1-800-772-1213

You should apply during the 7 months initial enrollment period when you first turn 65 (New to Medicare)

You can also qualify for Medicare if you are under age 65 with the following circumstances:

  • Permanently disabled and receiving social security disability income benefits for 24 months
  • If you have end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
  • If you have Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

 

Working Past 65

If you or your spouse are still working, then Medicare would work differently.
Should I sign up for Medicare when I turn 65?
If you have employer sponsor health insurance through your current job (or spouse job), then you don’t have to sign up for Medicare while you or your spouse are still working.

You can wait to sign up until you or your spouse lose the health insurance offered by your or your
spouse employer.

Can I get Medicare and job-based health insurance at the same time?
The answer is YES but the size of the employer will determine who will pays first and be the primary
insurer and who will pay second.

 

  • Employer sponsor health insurance with less than 20 employees: Medicare pays for services first, and your employer sponsor health insurance pays second. So, if you don’t sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B then your employer sponsor health insurance might not cover the costs for those services you get.
  • Employer sponsor health insurance with more than 20 employees: Your employer sponsor health insurance pays first, and Medicare pays second. So, it will make sense to sign up for Medicare Part A when you turn 65 if you don’t have to pay a premium for Part A and delay signing up for Part B until you stop working or lose the health insurance offered by your employer, and you won’t pay a late enrollment penalty.