Getting Started With Medicare

Eligibility

"Does anyone below 65 qualify?"

There are 3 situations that qualify for Medicare for people under 65:

Who Qualifies

"How do I know if I'm eligible for Medicare?"

At age 65, every citizen must apply for Medicare (you will receive Medicare A and B). Non-citizen permanent residents who have lived in the country for at least five years are also eligible at age 65.

If you have not already begun to draw social security, you will need to apply for Medicare when you turn 65. Even if you do receive social security, you will be automatically enrolled when you turn 65. To enroll in other Medicare programs, such as Part C for Advantage or Part D for prescriptions, please contact us to see if these programs are right for you.

Enrollment Dates

"Is there a certain date to enroll for Medicare?"

You'll often hear about 'Medicare Open Enrollment' and 'Initial Enrollment Period', which we will refer to as 'IEP' from here.

You can begin the process 3 months before your 65th birthday, which is the Initial Enrollment Period. The IEP is a time frame of 7 months — 3 months before your birthday, the month of your birthday, and 3 months afterward. If your birthday lands on the 1st day of the month, your IEP will start 1 month earlier. It is important to begin enrollment during the IEP time frame to avoid penalties such as higher premiums. There are only a few specific exceptions to this rule — please contact your agent for further information.

Medicare Open Enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7 every year. During this time, people who already have Medicare can compare their Medicare Part D and Medicare Part C Advantage plans or change plans. People who missed their initial enrollment period can also add new coverage during Open Enrollment.