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Medicare Eligibility

“About to turn sixty-five? You’ll find signing up for Medicare to be amazingly easy,” explained Morie Smile, State Director. Anyone who is already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, is automatically signed up for Medicare Part A and Part B once they turn 65. They should get a package of Medicare information, including a Medicare card, in the mail. If not, contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.

 

Those who are not yet taking Social Security need to enroll at the local Social Security office. There is a seven-month period in which to enroll in Medicare. It’s the three months before a 65^th birthday, the birthday month, and the three months after.

 

Everyone has several choices to make when signing up for Medicare. There’s Original Medicare, which has two parts: Part A which covers hospital expenses, and Part B for doctor visits. With Original Medicare the beneficiary can choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare payments. Original Medicare pays for many health care services and supplies, but it doesn’t pay all health care costs. To get prescription drug coverage under Original Medicare requires joining a Medicare-approved private drug plan, also called Part D.

 

Medicare Advantage Plans are alternatives to Original Medicare. These are offered by private insurance companies and must pay for the same health care services as Original Medicare. But they also might pay for additional health care services that aren’t covered by Original Medicare. Examples of Medicare Advantage Plans include Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs). In most Medicare Advantage Plans you can only go to doctors, specialist, and hospitals on the plan’s list unless you want to pay for all of the care yourself.

 

“Anyone can switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan, or move from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan or back to Original Medicare. The time to do this is during the Annual Election Period between November 15 and December 31,” stated Morie Smile. “Use the comparison tools at www.medicare.gov to find the plan that best fits your needs.”

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