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 at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/medicareonly/. It is best to do it as early as possible so your coverage begins as soon as you turn 65.
If you are still working and have an employer or union group health insurance plan, it is possible you do not need to sign up for Medicare Part B right away. You will need to find out from your employer whether the employer’s plan is the primary insurer. If Medicare, rather than the employer’s plan, is the primary insurer, then you will still need to sign up for Part B. Even if you aren’t going to sign up for Part B, you should still enroll in Medicare Part A, which may help pay some of the costs not covered by your group health plan. For more information on Medicare and work, click here. For more on Medicare Part A, click here. Many people choose to enroll in Medicare to save money over their employer group plan. If you would like to learn if you could save money by enrolling in Medicare, call Connie at 303-725-7009.