Medicare Enrollment

A: Generally, when you are first eligible for Medicare. For many, this is when you turn 65 years old, but some people under 65 may qualify for Medicare due to a qualifying health condition or if they qualify for Social Security Disability. You’ll have a 7-month period (3 months before your birth month, your birth month, and 3 months after) to use your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) to apply for Original Medicare Parts A and B. Suppose you don’t enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period and don’t have other creditable coverage, in that case, you may have to wait until the following year’s General Enrollment Period for Medicare (which runs from January 1 through March 31). If you enroll during the General Enrollment Period your coverage will begin July 1.

Note: if you don’t have other creditable coverage and did not sign up during your IEP you may also have to pay a Late Enrollment Penalty (LEP).

A: General information may include:

• Date and place of birth
• Proof you applied for Social Security benefits in the past or if anyone applied on your behalf
• Citizenship status
• Medicaid number (if eligible in your state)
• Current Health Insurance (including insurance start date if employer coverage is still in effect)

Most of this info can be provided by filling out the application. Some details may require extra documentation, which can include:

• Original birth certificate or a certified copy
• No official birth records? You can use immunization records, medical records, insurance records, or state census records
• If you’re not a U.S. citizen, proof of legal residency
• If you were born outside the United States, proof of your U.S. citizenship
• You may not need all these documents, but it’s a good idea to have as many of them ready to present as possible.

• A licensed insurance agent or broker
• An Authorized Representative
• A legal representative you have named Power of Attorney (POA)

A: Did you know there are multiple different Medicare Advantage Enrollment periods based on your specific scenarios? No worries, Healthpilot is here to help. You can either contact us today, and we can help you determine if you qualify for an enrollment period or you can take a peek at our Enrollments Periods Resource page.

A:

Part A- If you don’t automatically qualify for premium-free Medicare Part A, you should apply for it when you’re first eligible for Medicare. If you don’t, you may pay an extra 10% of your monthly premium each month for twice the number of years you could have signed up for Part A but didn’t.

Part B- If you enroll in Medicare Part B when you are first eligible, you won’t be assessed a late enrollment penalty. You can delay your enrollment in Medicare Part B if you or your spouse is working, and you have creditable health insurance coverage through that employer. Once you or your spouse retires, you will have a Special Enrollment Period to enroll in Medicare Part B. The Special Enrollment Period lasts 8 months. It starts after you, or your spouse stop working or you lose group health plan coverage (whichever happens first). The Part B penalty is an extra 10% of your Part B monthly premium for each year you could have signed up for Part B but didn’t. You will continue to pay the penalty for as long as you have Part B.

Part D- If you don’t sign up for a Medicare Prescription Drug plan when you are first Medicare eligible and you don’t have other creditable coverage (coverage that is as good as a Medicare Prescription Drug plan, like a plan you would get from your employer) or you go 63 days or more without creditable coverage, the Part D penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium of $32.74 (2023) for each month that you did not have a prescription drug plan (Part D) or creditable coverage. You will continue to pay the extra amount for as long as you have a prescription drug plan.

A: There isn’t a limit, however you can only make changes during a valid enrollment period. Contact us and we’d be happy to help see what special enrollment periods may apply to you.

A: You can get a replacement Medicare card online using your Social Security account if it was misplaced, stolen, or destroyed. Visit the Social Security Administration website and create an “my Social Security” account if you don’t already have one.

• Click on Create an Account or Sign In.
• Choose the “Replacement Documents” tab after logging into your account. Choose “Mail my replacement Medicare Card” after that.
• Your Medicare card will be mailed to the address listed with Social Security in about 30 days.

If you’re unable to use the online service or would prefer not to, you can call the National Social Security office from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778); or call the Social Security office in your area.