Learn about the parts of Medicare and how and when to sign up if you are in your 60s or if you have a disability or qualifying illness.
What is Medicare and how does it work?
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people who are 65 and over. If you are under 65, you may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease).
Medicare is divided into four parts:
Learn more about the parts of Medicare, how it works, what it costs, and how to prepare to sign up.
Enrolling in Medicare in your 60s
There are several ways to enroll in Medicare, whether you plan to retire or keep working:
- If you begin receiving Social Security retirement benefits between age 62 and up to 4 months before turning 65, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B when you turn 65.
- If you apply for Social Security 3 months before you turn 65 or later, you can sign up for Medicare when you apply for Social Security.
- The Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Medicare begins 3 months before you turn 65 and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65--a total of 7 months. You may have to pay a penalty if you miss your Initial Enrollment Period.
- If you are not ready to receive Social Security benefits at 65 because you are still working, you can apply online for Medicare only. Oryou may be able to wait until you retire to sign up during a special enrollment period. Learn more about how Medicare works if you are employed past age 65.
Read this important information explaining when to sign up for Medicare, based on your situation.
Sign up for Medicare
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LAST UPDATED: March 27, 2024
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FAQs
Ways to sign up: Online (at Social Security) – It's the easiest and fastest way to sign up and get any financial help you may need. (You'll need to create your secure my Social Security account to sign up for Medicare or apply for benefits.) Contact your local Social Security office.
How many months before should I apply for Medicare? ›
Generally, you're first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. If you sign up for Medicare, stop your Marketplace coverage so it ends when your Medicare coverage starts.
Do I automatically get Medicare when I turn 65? ›
You'll automatically get Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) when you turn 65. You'll still need to make important decisions about your coverage, like whether you need to add drug coverage.
What are the three requirements for Medicare? ›
Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance)
- Be age 65 or older;
- Be a U.S. resident; AND.
- Be either a U.S. citizen, OR.
- Be an alien who has been lawfully admitted for permanent residence and has been residing in the United States for 5 continuous years prior to the month of filing an application for Medicare.
What documents do I need to enroll in Medicare?
- your Social Security number.
- your date and place of birth.
- your citizenship status.
- the name and Social Security number of your current spouse and any former spouses.
- the date and place of any marriages or divorces you've had.
Talk to someone
You can also: Call us at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). Help from Medicare is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays.
How much will Medicare cost me when I turn 65? ›
If you don't get premium-free Part A, you pay up to $505 each month. If you don't buy Part A when you're first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty. Most people pay the standard Part B monthly premium amount ($174.70 in 2024).
Why are you forced to get Medicare at 65? ›
It's likely that you can delay Medicare enrollment, but some employers require that people 65 and older must enroll in Medicare to receive company health insurance benefits. For these smaller companies with less employees, Medicare pays first, and work-based insurance pays second.
Is there a penalty for not signing up for Medicare Part A at 65? ›
Part A late enrollment penalty
If you have to buy Part A, and you don't buy it when you're first eligible for Medicare, your monthly premium may go up 10%. You'll have to pay the penalty for twice the number of years you didn't sign up.
What are the 6 things Medicare doesn't cover? ›
Some of the items and services Medicare doesn't cover include:
- Long-term care (also called. custodial care. Custodial care. ...
- Most dental care.
- Eye exams (for prescription glasses)
- Dentures.
- Cosmetic surgery.
- Massage therapy.
- Routine physical exams.
- Hearing aids and exams for fitting them.
The progressive changes are nearing their conclusion: Beginning in 2022, the standard age for full benefits became 67 for anyone born after 1960. Besides the Medicare eligibility age of 65, what remains unchanged is that you can opt to begin drawing partial Social Security benefits as early as age 62.
Can I drop my employer health insurance and go on Medicare Part B? ›
Once you stop working (or lose your health insurance, if that happens first) you have an 8-month Special Enrollment Period (SEP) when you can sign up for Medicare (or add Part B to existing Part A coverage).
Do I call my local Social Security office to apply for Medicare? ›
Form SSA-1 | Information You Need To Apply For Retirement Benefits Or Medicare. You can apply: Online; or. By calling our national toll-free service at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or visiting your local Social Security office.
What does Medicare Part B cost per month? ›
If you don't get premium-free Part A, you pay up to $505 each month. If you don't buy Part A when you're first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty. Most people pay the standard Part B monthly premium amount ($174.70 in 2024).
Do you automatically get Medicare with Social Security? ›
If you already get Social Security benefits, you do not need to sign up for Medicare. We will automatically enroll you in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) when you become eligible.
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