Get Started With Medicare

Getting Medicare is a major milestone. Here’s where you can get the information you need, no matter where you are in your Medicare journey. Before you choose a path below, check out these 5 important facts:

1. Some people get Medicare automatically, and some have to sign up. You may have to sign up if you’re 65 (or almost 65) and not getting Social Security.
2. There are certain times of the year when you can sign up or change how you get your coverage.
3. If you sign up for Medicare Part B when you’re first eligible, you can avoid a penalty.
4. You can choose how you get your Medicare coverage.
5. You may be able to get help with your Medicare costs.

Medicare is our country’s health insurance program for people age 65 or older. Certain people younger than age 65 can qualify for Medicare, too, including those with disabilities and those who have permanent kidney failure.

When you’re enrolled in Medicare, you’ll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail. If you’re automatically enrolled, you’ll get your red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail 3 months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of getting disability benefits. Your Medicare card shows that you have Medicare health insurance. It shows whether you have Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Medical Insurance), or both, and it shows the date your coverage starts.

Be sure to carry your card with you when you’re away from home. Let your doctor, hospital, or other health care provider see your card when you need a hospital, medical, or other health services.

The program helps with the cost of health care, but it does not cover all medical expenses or the cost of most long-term care. You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage. If you choose to have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) coverage, you can buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy from a private insurance company.

Parts of Medicare Social Security enrolls you in Original Medicare (Parts A & B)

• Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) helps pay for inpatient care in a hospital or limited time at a skilled nursing facility (following a hospital stay). Part A also pays for some home health care and hospice care.
• Medicare Part B (medical insurance) helps pay for services from doctors and other health care providers, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment, and some preventive services. Other parts of Medicare are run by private insurance companies that follow rules set by Medicare.
• Supplemental (Medigap) policies help pay Medicare out-of-pocket copayments, coinsurance, and deductible expenses.
• Medicare Advantage Plan (previously known as Part C) includes all benefits and services covered under Part A and Part B — prescription drugs and additional benefits such as vision, hearing, and dental — bundled together in one plan. 2
• Medicare Part D (Medicare prescription drug coverage) helps cover the cost of prescription drugs.
• You have choices for how you get Medicare coverage. If you choose to have Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) coverage, you can buy a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy from a private insurance company. Medicare Advantage plans cover many of the same benefits a Medigap policy covers. This includes benefits like extra days in the hospital after you’ve used the days that Medicare covers.

Who should use the online Medicare application?

You should, if you:

• Are within three months of turning age 65 or older.
• Want Medicare benefits and don’t have Medicare coverage.
• Don’t want to apply for monthly Social Security retirement benefits now.
• Reside in the United States or one of its territories or commonwealths. 3 NOTE: Medicare will automatically enroll people who already get Social Security retirement or disability benefits in Parts A and B; they don’t need to complete an application. Residents of Puerto Rico and foreign countries will not receive Part B automatically. They must elect this benefit

Why should I apply online for Medicare benefits? Applying online for Medicare benefits offers several advantages:

• You can start your application immediately — you do not have to wait for an appointment.
• You can apply from the comfort of your home, or from any computer.
• You can avoid a trip to a Social Security office, saving you time and money. You do not have to complete the application in one sitting. If you need a break, you can stop working on the application and restart it without losing any of the information you entered.

What do I have to do? Follow these simple steps:

1. Before applying, visit our “Checklist for Online Applications” at to find out what you need to prepare.
2. Go to the Social Security website and select “Apply for Medicare Only.”
3. Use the “Related Information” links if you need more information.
4. Apply and complete the application, which normally takes 10 to 30 minutes.
5. Select “Submit Now” to send your application electronically to Social Security. What happens next?
   • You’ll see a receipt on the screen that you can print and keep for your records.
   • You’ll also get an application number you can use to check the status of your application.
   • Medicare/Social security administration will review your application and contact you if we need clarification or if we need to see any documents.
   • Medicare will process your application and mail you a letter with our decision.

Social Security

When you are ready to retire, socialsecurity.gov. can help you make an informed decision about when to apply for benefits based on your individual and family circumstances. Social Security has the tools to help you. For example:

•  Retirement Calculator allows you to get an estimate of your personal retirement benefits, and to see the effects of different retirement age scenarios.
•  When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits Fact Sheet (Publication No. 05-10147) helps you understand how Social Security fits into your retirement decision. 

Contacting Social Security

The most convenient way to contact us from anywhere, on any device, is to visit www.socialsecurity.gov. There are several things you can do online: apply for benefits; get useful information; find publications; and get answers to frequently asked questions. When you open a personal my Social Security account, you have more capabilities.
You can review your Social Security Statement, verify your earnings, and print a benefit verification letter. You can also change your direct deposit information, request a replacement Medicare card, request a replacement Social Security card (if you have no changes and your state participates), and get a replacement SSA-1099/1042S.

If you don’t have access to the internet, we offer many automated services by telephone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call us toll-free at 1-800-772-1213or at our TTY number, 1-800-325-0778, if you’re deaf or hard of hearing. A member of the socialsecurity.gov. staff can answer your call from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, if you need to speak to a person. We ask for your patience during busy periods since you may experience a high rate of busy signals and longer hold times to speak to socialsecurity.gov. 

Should I Sign Up For Medical Insurance (Part B)?

With the online application, you can sign up for Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). Because you must pay a premium for Part B coverage, you can turn it down.

If you’re eligible at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month you turn age 65, and ends three months after that birthday.

If you choose not to enroll in Medicare Part B and then decide to do so later, your coverage could be delayed and you may have to pay a higher monthly premium for as long as you have Part B. Your monthly premium will go up 10 percent for each 12-month period you were eligible for Part B, but didn’t sign up for it, unless you qualify for a “Special Enrollment Period” (SEP). 

(If you are age 65 or older, you or your spouse are still working and you are covered under a group health plan based on that current employment, you may not need to apply for Medicare medical insurance (Part B) at age 65. You may qualify for a “Special Enrollment Period” (SEP) that will let you sign up for Part B:

During any month you remain covered under the group health plan and your, or your spouse’s, current employment continues; or
In the eight-month period that begins with the month after your group health plan coverage or the current employment it is based on ends, whichever comes first.

Exception: If your group health plan coverage or the employment it is based on ends during your initial enrollment period for Medicare Part B, you do not qualify for a SEP. Your initial enrollment period starts three months before the month you attain age 65 and ends three months after the month you turn 65.

If your group health plan coverage is based on severance or retirement pay and the job your coverage is based on ended in the last eight months.

Note: COBRA and retiree health plans aren’t considered coverage based on current employment. If you have that type of coverage, you will not be eligible for a SEP when it ends. To avoid paying a higher premium, make sure you sign up for Medicare when you are first eligible.

People who receive Social Security disability benefits and are covered under a group health plan from either their own or a family member’s current employment also have a special enrollment period and premium rights similar to those for workers age 65 or older.

If you don’t enroll in Medicare Part B during your initial enrollment period, you have another chance each year to sign up during a “general enrollment period” from January 1 through March 31. Your coverage begins on July 1 of the year you enroll.