It depends if you are starting on time, around your 65 birthday, joining during an enrollment period, or entering under a particular situation such as disability or your spouse retiring. So let's discuss some regular starts and scenarios depending on your case! Lets's start with the basic, which is turning 65.
If you are already receiving benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance). You will receive your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail 3 months before your 65th birthday.
Suppose you are not receiving benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board. In that case, you must sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period.
The Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months when you are first eligible for Medicare. You can sign up for Part A and Part B anytime during your initial enrollment period. However, if you don't sign up for Part A or Part B when you're first eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare. Your Initial Enrollment Period starts 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn age 65 and ends 3 months after that month.
There have been delays in Social Security Administration processing, which has delayed new Medicare enrollments. Therefore, we advise you to call to make an appointment or complete Social Security online applications 3 months before you turn 65 to prevent delays in starting Medicare.
By the way, all Medicare coverage starts on the 1st of the month. This includes plan changes, special enrollment periods, reinstatements, etc.
If you are under 65, have a disability, and have been receiving disability benefits from Social Security or certain disability benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board for 24 months, you're automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B. Your red, white, and blue Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your 25th month of disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
Open Enrollment is the time each year when you can make changes to your Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage plans. These changes can include switching from one Medicare Advantage Plan to another or dropping your Medicare Advantage Plan and returning to Original Medicare. You can also join a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan if you didn’t have one before or switch from one to another. Open Enrollment for Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug coverage is from October 15 – December 7.
If your spouse is 65 or older and not currently receiving benefits, they can sign up for Medicare during the Initial Enrollment Period. If you are already receiving benefits, your spouse can sign up for Medicare during the Special Enrollment Period.
The Special Enrollment Period is a time outside the Initial Enrollment Period when you can sign up for Part A and Part B. You may qualify if you or your spouse:
· Work and have group health coverage based on that work
· Are disabled and have group health coverage based on working
When you or your family members lose group health coverage, you may have a chance to sign up for Part A and Part B. You have 8 months to sign up starting the month after your employment ends or your group health insurance coverage ends, whichever happens first.
If you're automatically enrolled, your Part B coverage will start the first day of the month that you turn 65. If you're not automatically enrolled, you can sign up during the Initial Enrollment Period or a Special Enrollment Period. If you missed your Initial Enrollment Period and didn't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you'll have to wait for the General Enrollment Period.
The General Enrollment Period is from January 1 to March 31. Coverage starts on July 1. You may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Medicare if, for any reason, you go without Part B coverage for more than 12 months and then decide to sign up.
The Part A deductible is the amount you pay before Medicare begins to pay for covered inpatient hospital costs. The Part B deductible is the amount you pay before Medicare starts to pay for covered outpatient medical services.
You usually have to pay the entire Part A and Part B deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments out of your pocket before your Medicare coverage will begin to pay. However, some Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C) and other Medicare health plans may offer different rules.
If you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), you can get Medicare coverage under Part A and Part B if you're on dialysis or have had a kidney transplant. In addition, you can enroll in Medicare even if you're not receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits.
You may be automatically enrolled in Part A and Part B 3 months before your ESRD treatment start date or the date you turn 65, whichever comes first. If you're not automatically enrolled, you can sign up during the Initial Enrollment Period or a Special Enrollment Period.
The Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Part D is from October 15 – December 7 each year. You could switch to a different Part D plan during this time or enroll in a Part D plan if you didn’t have one before. In addition, if you have a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C), you can also switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan during this time.
Medicare is a complicated system with many different start dates and enrollment periods. However, knowing when your benefits start is crucial to getting the most out of this valuable program. We hope our guide has helped clear up some confusion around Medicare enrollment. If you have any further questions, please don't hesitate to contact us for assistance!
You can if you are disabled or have End-Stage Renal Disease. Otherwise, you have to wait until you turn 65.
The earliest you can start Medicare is the month that you turn 65. However, if you are already receiving Social Security Disability benefits for 24 months or have End-Stage Renal Disease, you may be able to start Medicare earlier.
You can find your Medicare start date by looking at the red, white, and blue Medicare card sent to you in the mail. The start date will be listed on the front of the card. If you don't have your Medicare card or need more information about your Medicare coverage, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).