22
For more information, read Medicare
(Publication No. 05-10043).
When should I apply for Medicare?
If you do not already get benets, you should
contact us about 3 months before your 65th birthday
to apply for Medicare, even if you don’t plan to
retire at age 65. You can easily apply online at
www.ssa.gov/benets/medicare.
You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan within your
initial enrollment period, the 1st time you’re eligible for
Medicare. You can also enroll during the annual Medicare
open enrollment period from October 15 to December
7 each year. The effective date for the enrollment is
January 1 of the year that follows. For example, if you
signed up on November 8, 2023, your coverage would
become active on January 1, 2024. There are also special
enrollment periods for some situations.
If you already get Social Security benets or RRB
payments, we’ll contact you a few months before you
become eligible for Medicare and send you information.
If you live in one of the 50 states, Washington, D.C., the
Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, American Samoa, or
the U.S. Virgin Islands, we’ll automatically enroll you in
Medicare Parts A and B. However, because you must pay
a premium for Part B coverage, you can choose to turn it
down. Residents of Puerto Rico or foreign countries won’t
receive Part B automatically. They must elect this benet.
We will not automatically enroll you in a Medicare
prescription drug plan (Part D). Part D is optional and you
must elect this coverage.
If you don’t enroll in Part B and Part D when you’re 1st
eligible, you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for
as long as you have Part B and Part D coverage. Also,
you may have to wait to enroll, which will delay coverage.