How To Sign Up For Medicare When You Turn 65
For whatever reasons if you keep working past 65 it can make signing up for medicare even more confusing than it already is.
How to sign up for medicare when you turn 65. If you are 65 but are not receiving social security retirement benefits or railroad retirement benefits you will need to actively enroll in medicare. Signing up for medicare. Part d drug coverage has different rules. Some people get medicare automatically and some have to sign up. If you re not already getting social security retirement benefits when you turn 65 you generally won t be automatically enrolled in medicare.
There are certain times of the year when you can sign up or change how you get your coverage. This could cause a gap in your coverage. As long as you ve worked at least 10 years and paid medicare taxes medicare part a is actually free to have meaning that you don t have a monthly premium. Age 65 has always been the traditional retirement age but today it doesn t necessarily mean retirement. Original medicare is made up of 2 main parts.
After the month you turn 65 3 months. If you decide to enroll in medicare during your initial enrollment period you can sign up for parts a. You generally apply during your initial enrollment period. But if you want to sign up for other medicare coverage right about when you re first eligible for medicare might be a good time to enroll. This period would consist of the following.
You may sign up for part a and or part b plans. If you sign up later there is a lifetime penalty fee that you must pay for late signup. If your existing health coverage ends on your 65th birthday be sure you sign up early so you don t go without health insurance. In most cases if you don t sign up for medicare part b when you re first eligible you ll have to pay a late enrollment penalty. If you sign up for medicare part b when you re first eligible you can avoid a penalty.
Also if you don t sign up for medicare part b when you are 65 you are not penalized unless you decide to sign up for it later. On your release you re entitled to a special enrollment period of up to three months if you turned 65 in prison or up to two months if you turned 65 before going to prison to sign up with a part d drug plan and avoid late penalties. If don t sign up for medicare part a when you are 65 then you will forfeit your social security benefits. This is also the age at which you become elig ible for medicare benefits. You may have to sign up if you re 65 or almost 65 and not getting social security.