If you qualify for Medicare and already collect Social Security retirement benefits or Railroad Retirement benefits, your Medicare enrollment should be automatic. You should receive a package in the mail three months before your 65th birthday with your Medicare card and information.
Otherwise, you will need to sign up for Medicare yourself in order to receive benefits. The time you can enroll in Medicare depends on a few things, like your birthday and whether you have a qualified disability. Continue reading below to learn more about Medicare enrollment and when you may be able to apply for Medicare.
There are three main time periods when you can enroll in Medicare:
- Initial Enrollment Period
- Open Enrollment Period
- Special Enrollment Period
The initial enrollment period takes place in the seven months surrounding your 65th birthday. It includes the three months before your birthday, your birthday month, and the three months after your birthday. For example, if you turn 65 on September 13th, you can enroll in Medicare starting June 1st and have until December 31st.
If you do not enroll during the initial enrollment period when you first qualify, you can still enroll during a special enrollment period or at a later date during the Medicare open enrollment period. However, you may want to enroll sooner rather than later, since your premiums increase by 10 percent for each year that you delay Medicare coverage.
The open enrollment period is between October 15 to December 7 each year. During this time, you can sign up for Original Medicare, a Medicare Advantage plan and/or a Medicare Part D plan.
The Medicare Advantage open enrollment period takes place between January 1 and March 31. During this period, you can only switch to a different Advantage plan or drop your Advantage plan and revert back to Original Medicare.
Medicare special enrollment is for people who didn’t sign up for Medicare at age 65 because they had employer-provided health insurance through their own or a spouse’s job. Enrolling during this special enrollment period allows you to avoid paying the penalty for not having Part B. If you meet the qualifications, you can sign up when you have job-related health insurance or for eight months after you or your spouse stops working.
When you are ready to sign up for Medicare, you can do one of the following:
- Apply online on the Social Security Administration (SSA) website
- Visit a local Social Security office, where you can get medicare enrollment assistance
- Call Social Security at 800-772-1213
- Mail a signed and dated letter to Social Security with your name, Social Security number and the date you would like to be enrolled
