Enrolling in Medicare can be a confusing process, and it can be easy to miss steps. In fact, doing so can lead to costly mistakes such as penalties or prevent you from starting your coverage when you need to, leaving you with gaps in coverage.
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There are 3 important time periods to enroll in Medicare: 3 months before your 65th birthday, your 65th birthday, and 3 months after your 65th birthday.
Here are important takeaways for each time period to keep in mind when preparing for Medicare eligibility.
3 Months before your 65th birthday:
You can start applying for Medicare at this time.
- Contact the Social Security office directly and apply online.
- Assess your healthcare needs
- Find a broker to work with
Once you get your Medicare card (red, white and blue card) in the mail, you can start looking for other products you want to enroll in.
Please note, if you are currently taking Social Security, you will get your card in the mail before your 65th birthday so no need to apply online.
65th birthday
Your Medicare coverage will start the first of the month of your birthday. Once you have your medicare card, you can
- Explore Part D drug plans
- Compare advantage (part c) and Medigap plans
- Assess dental and vision needs
- Work with a broker to enroll
This would also be the time to discontinue current coverage. If you were enrolling ahead of time, you could get all of your enrollments done so they start the month you turn 65, but if there is a delay you still have time to enroll!
3 months after 65th birthday
If not already enrolled, this is the time to enroll in Medicare before the deadline. If you miss out, you could be penalized and have to wait until next year!
- Contact Social Security office to enroll
- Find a broker to work with
- Assess healthcare needs
- Choose a Part C, PDP plan, or Medigap plan before the deadline
Overall, working with a Medicare-certified broker is the easiest way to make sure you do not miss out on any of these steps. They can not only help you to make sense of Medicare but can also guide you to make the right plan choice when you first turn 65.
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