As soon as you become eligible for Medicare, you start the seven-month Initial Enrollment Period. During this time, you can sign up for Part A and/or Part B. If you qualify for Medicare and need health insurance when you turn 65, you can register during this seven-month initial enrollment period. This period begins the month you turn 65 and ends three months after your 65th birthday.
The option to sign up for the General Enrollment Period between the first day of January and the last day of March exists for all those who could not sign up for Part A and/or Part B (which require premiums). The coverage for all such applicants will start on July 1. For this, the applicant must pay a higher premium for late enrollment in Part A. To sign up for Part B, the applicant must complete an application for enrollment in Part B (CMS-40B).
Special Enrollment Periods
As soon as the initial Enrollment Period ends, applicants can sign up for Medicare during the Special Enrollment Period. Applicants covered under a group health insurance plan through current employment qualify for the Special Enrollment Period to register for Part A and/or Part B. This applies as long as the applicant, their spouse, or a family member works and the group health plan comes from that employment.
Applicants also get an eight-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part A and/or Part B. This period begins in the month when either the applicant’s employment ends or the group health plan stops, whichever happens first. Signing up during this period usually avoids any late enrollment fees.
It is important to note that COBRA and retiree health plans do not count as coverage based on current employment. As a result, applicants cannot qualify for a Special Enrollment Period after these types of coverage end. The same rule applies to individuals with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
Understanding the Special Enrollment Period for Medicare
The applicant is eligible for the Special Enrollment Period for Part A and Part B if the applicant is a volunteer serving in a foreign country.
The following is the overview of all that you need to know about Medicare:
- Contact Social Security before your 65th
- Early retirees having Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits are automatically enrolled in Medicare.
- Medical screenings, supplies, and procedures are covered by Medicare.
- Medicare covers need health insurance for people who are physically present inside the U.S. (Only in rare cases does Part A provide for coverage of a U.S. citizen in a foreign country near a U.S. facility.)
- Part B premium is deducted automatically from the monthly check if the applicant is receiving Social Security benefits.
For more information, call us now at (800) 648-3870.
