New to Medicare? We're Here to Help
Get started with essential information on Medicare eligibility and enrollment.
Get started with essential information on Medicare eligibility and enrollment.
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
Eligibility for Medicare is based on age or certain medical conditions. Individuals who are 65 or older qualify, as do those with disabilities, ESRD, or ALS who may enroll earlier.
Some people get Medicare automatically, others have to actively sign up. This depends on whether you start getting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security before you turn 65. Enrollment in Medicare is linked to Social Security benefits.
The Initial Enrollment Period for Medicare generally begins three months before the month an individual turns 65 and ends three months after the month they turn 65. During this seven-month window, most people become eligible to sign up for both Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance). Signing up during this period helps avoid gaps in coverage and potential penalties.
Special Enrollment Periods provide opportunities to sign up for Medicare outside the Initial Enrollment Period under specific circumstances, such as when job-based coverage ends. To avoid penalties and coverage gaps, it is advisable to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B when first eligible, particularly around age 65, unless qualifying for a Special Enrollment Period.
Part A helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care.
Part B helps cover services from doctors and other health care providers, outpatient care, home health care, durable medical equipment, and many preventive services.
Medicare Advantage is a Medicare-approved plan from a private company that offers an alternative to Original Medicare for health and drug coverage. These bundled plans include Part A, Part B, and usually Part D.
Part D helps cover the cost of prescription drugs. You join a Medicare drug plan in addition to Original Medicare, or you get it by joining a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage.
Start with the basics and then get specific steps to follow for signing up. Paths for enrollment vary based on when you begin receiving Social Security benefits relative to age 65. Always verify specific situations, such as working past 65.