How do I create an online Medicare account?

Can I review Medicare claims faster with an online account?

Yes, if you’ve chosen original Medicare, you can review your Medicare claims for Parts A and B in your online account within 24 hours without having to wait for your quarterly Medicare summary notice (MSN). Being able to review your claims quickly can help you spot errors or potential fraud.

Search claims by date range, claim type or claim number. You’ll see the service date, provider and type of each claim, the Medicare-approved amount, what Medicare paid and what you may be billed. The amount you have to pay may be covered through a Medigap, retiree or other supplemental plan.

If you have coverage through a private Medicare Advantage plan, you may be able to sign up with your plan to receive your Explanation of Benefits notices and review your claims online.

Eliminate extra paper. Your summary notice includes a separate claims report for your Part A hospitalization and Part B doctor’s and outpatient services claims from the past three months. You can opt out of the mailed version, sign up to get electronic Medicare summary notices (eMSNs) and receive an email every month you use Medicare services.

How do I pay my Medicare premiums online?

If you’re receiving Social Security benefits, your Medicare Part B premiums are automatically deducted from your monthly payments.

If you haven’t signed up for Social Security retirement benefits yet or don’t qualify, you can have your Medicare premiums withdrawn directly from your bank account, either through Medicare’s Easy Pay program or by paying electronically through your online Medicare account.

To pay online, log in to your Medicare account and select My premiums from the drop-down menu under your name, then Pay now. Choose your payment method and the amount you want to pay. You’ll be linked to the U.S. Treasury’s Pay.gov site to complete your transaction.

Medicare officials suggest you use your online Medicare account to pay the premium instead of a Pay.gov log-in.

You’ll get a confirmation number for your payment. Your checking or savings account payment will take about five business days to process. Credit card payments are faster.

Can my online Medicare account help during open enrollment?

Save a list of the pharmacies and the names and doses of prescriptions you use regularly when comparing the Part D drug plans in your area. Open enrollment, when you can switch plans for any reason, is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year, with coverage starting Jan. 1.

When you log in to your online Medicare account, click Confirm Your Drug List | Add Recently Filled Drugs to see a list of the prescriptions you filled within 12 months. Add only current prescriptions to your drug list, not one-time medications, like antibiotics.

For a Part D coverage summary, go to the Medicare Plan Finder in your Medicare account. You can see the total costs of each plan in your area based on premiums, deductibles, and copayments or coinsurance for your specific medications and pharmacies and compare plans. You also can type the drugs and pharmacies into the Plan Finder if you don’t have an online Medicare account.

Note: You can’t review your Part D prescription drug plan claims in your Medicare account because you buy it through a private insurer. You may be able to sign up with your plan to receive your Explanation of Benefits notices and review your claims online.

Keep in mind

Setting up an online Medicare account gives you access to information and resources about your Medicare coverage and claims. In addition to paying premiums and keeping track of your medications, you’ll be able to:

• Find out about your preventive benefits.

• Get a copy of your annual Medicare & You handbook.

• Print replacement Medicare cards.