Enrolling in Medicare
When to Enroll?
Initial Enrollment Period
When you first become eligible for Medicare, you have an opportunity to choose how you want to receive your Medicare coverage. If you are not automatically enrolled in premium-free Medicare Part A, you can sign up for Part A once your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) begins.
Your Part A coverage will start six months before the month you apply for Medicare (or Social Security/RRB benefits), but no earlier than the month you turn 65.
However, Medicare Part B (or Part A if you need to purchase it) can only be enrolled during your Initial Enrollment Period.
Remember: in most cases, if you don’t sign up for Part A (if you must buy it) and Part B when you’re first eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty.
Special Enrollment Period
After your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you might still have an opportunity to enroll in Medicare during a Special Enrollment Period.
If you didn’t sign up for Medicare Part B (or Part A, if you need to buy it) when you were first eligible because you were covered by a group health plan through current employment (your own, your spouse’s, or a family member’s if you have a disability), you can enroll in Part A and/or Part B:
⦁ At any time while you are still covered by the group health plan, or
⦁ During the 8-month period that begins the month after your employment ends or your group coverage ends, whichever happens first.
If you sign up during a Special Enrollment Period, you typically won’t have to pay a late enrollment penalty.
Important notes:
⦁ This Special Enrollment Period does not apply if you are eligible for Medicare based on End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
⦁ It also does not apply if you are still within your Initial Enrollment Period.
⦁ If you qualify for Medicare due to a disability and your group health coverage is through a family member (other than a spouse), the employer must have 100 or more employees for you to qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
General Enrollment Period for Medicare
If you missed enrolling in Medicare Part A (if you need to purchase it) and/or Medicare Part B (which requires monthly premiums) during your Initial Enrollment Period — and you don't meet the criteria for a Special Enrollment Period — you still have a chance to sign up.
Enrollment is open each year from January 1 through March 31.
If you enroll during the month you turn 65, within the last three months of your Initial Enrollment Period, or during the General Enrollment Period, your Medicare coverage will begin the first day of the month after you sign up.
Keep in mind: enrolling late may result in higher premiums for Part A and/or Part B as a penalty for delayed enrollment.
How to Sign Up for Medicare Parts A and B
After enrolling in Part A and/or Part B, we can help you explore your Medicare health plan options.
Call our Helpline toll-free at (Monday–Friday, 9 AM–5 PM) to speak with a licensed insurance agent specially trained to assist you.
Or, request help online at /speak-with-an-agent.
Online
Submit your application easily at: www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare
Apply Online
By Phone
Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 (Monday–Friday, 7 AM–7 PM).
If you are deaf or hard of hearing, call TTY [Custom.number].
In Person
Visit your nearest Social Security office. (It’s recommended to call ahead for an appointment at 1-800-772-1213 (Monday–Friday, 7 AM–7 PM) during business hours.)
Make an Appointment
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