A Guide On How and When to Enroll for Medicare Insurance Plans

Posted by insuremenow on February 6th, 2020

U.S. citizens are well aware of Medicare health insurance plans, which is the federal health insurance program designed for seniors, who are 65 years of age or older, younger citizens with disability and people with end-state renal disease. With absolutely no doubt about the Medicare plans, people in the U.S. might be little apprehensive about the process and time to enroll in the Medicare plans. However, this article will guide to get started with Medicare plans and sign-up for this essential and vital health coverage program.

Sign-up through Social Security

Individuals who are over 65 years of age or are turning 65 within the 3 months time-frame and are  getting Social Security benefits, they such individuals automatically get Medicare Part A and Part B when they first become eligible and they even don't need to sign up too. Beneficiaries will receive a “Welcome to Medicare” kit from Medicare three months before they turn 65. People should carefully read through all the information given in the packet so that they take appropriate action on time. Individuals who are not getting benefits from Social Security are required to sign-up to get Original Medicare because they don't get it automatically.

How to Enroll in Medicare

Individuals can enroll in Original Medicare either online at www.SocialSecurity.gov. or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 on Monday to Friday, from 7am to 7 pm, or can visit in-person at their local Social Security office. Individuals also have the option to enroll online for Medicare, which is quite a quick and easy process adopted by increasing number of people in the U.S. It has been observed that online enrollment increase during the 4th quarter of the year, which also happens to be the open enrollment period for the Medicare insurance plans.

When to Enroll in Medicare

Few individuals are automatically enrolled in the Medicare plans under certain circumstances like when they are already receiving Railroad Retirement Board or Social Security retirement benefits upon  turning 65,  they get automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, if they sign for Part B at the time of signing retirement benefits. Individuals who are under 65 and receiving certain disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board, then they automatically get enrolled in Original Medicare after 24 months of disability benefits. 

Individuals who do not get automatically enrolled in Original Medicare plan have to manually enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B during their Initial Enrollment Period, which is the seven-month period starting three months before the month they turn 65 and ends three month after their birth month. Individuals who are not receiving retirement benefits or who are not eligible for retirement benefits and are closing to turn 65, then they can sign for Medicare during this Initial Enrollment Period. Individuals who do not qualify for retirement benefits will not be able to get premium free Medicare Part A and their Part A premium will depend on the time-frame for which they worked and paid Medicare taxes.

Summary – Individuals are provided with several options during the medicare enrollment period. Some of the individuals get automatically enrolled in original Medicare whereas some individuals might need to enroll in the Medicare plan. However, they need to be aware of the Medicare enrollment period, eligibility along with other plan detail in order to take proper decision.