Turning 65 is a common milestone in Raymore and Belton. The Census Bureau’s QuickFacts page puts people 65 and older at about 18.5 percent of Raymore’s population, which is higher than the national share. So if you are getting Medicare mail every day and feeling behind, you are in good company. Here is a checklist you can work through at your own pace.
1. Know your sign-up window
Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts seven months. It starts three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and ends three months after.
A few timing rules from Medicare.gov:
- Coverage always starts on the first of a month.
- If you sign up in the three months before your birthday month, Part B starts the month you turn 65.
- If you sign up in your birthday month or the three months after, Part B starts the month after you sign up.
- If your birthday falls on the 1st of the month, your coverage starts the month before you turn 65.
Signing up early in the window means no gap in coverage.
2. Decide about Part A and Part B
Most people take Part A (hospital) at 65 because it has no monthly premium if you or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough. Part B (doctors and outpatient care) has a monthly premium, so people who still have job-based coverage sometimes wait.
Whether waiting is safe depends on where your current coverage comes from and the size of the employer. If you delay Part B because of job-based coverage, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period that ends eight months after the job or the coverage ends, whichever comes first. COBRA does not count as job-based coverage for this rule. Getting this wrong can mean a late penalty that lasts as long as you have Part B. Ask before you decide to wait. Our turning 65 page covers this in more detail.
3. Sign up for Part A and B through Social Security
Medicare enrollment runs through Social Security, not through an insurance agent. You can sign up online at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213. We are not a government office and we cannot enroll you in Part A or B, but we are glad to walk you through the steps.
4. Choose your path: Supplement or Advantage
Once you have Part A and B, you pick how to fill the gaps. There are two main roads.
| Original Medicare plus a Supplement (Medigap) and a Part D drug plan | Medicare Advantage | |
|---|---|---|
| Doctors and hospitals | Any provider that accepts Medicare, anywhere in the country | The plan’s network, which can change each year |
| Monthly premium | Supplement premium plus Part D premium | Often low, sometimes none beyond Part B |
| Prior approval for care | Rarely | Common for tests, procedures and some stays |
| Extras like dental or hearing | Not included; bought separately | Often included |
Neither is right for everyone. The honest answer depends on your doctors, your medicines, your health and how much risk you want to carry. Our pages on Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage explain both.
5. If you want a Supplement, use your six-month window
Under federal law, you get a one-time six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. It starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older. During that window, companies must sell you any Medigap plan they offer without health questions. After it, they can ask about your health and can say no.
If you are in Raymore or Belton, you live in Missouri, which adds a second protection. Once you have a Medigap plan, Missouri’s anniversary rule lets you move to the same plan letter with a different company each year, within 30 days before or after your policy anniversary, without health questions. Write your anniversary date down. We explain the rule in our Missouri vs Kansas page.
6. If you want Medicare Advantage, check the local network
Many people in Raymore and Belton use Belton Regional Medical Center, part of HCA Midwest Health, as well as doctors in Lee’s Summit, Grandview and south Kansas City. Before you pick an Advantage plan, confirm that your doctors and your hospital are in the plan’s network for the year you are enrolling. Hospital contracts in Kansas City have changed more than once in the last two years. See your doctors and hospitals for how we check.
7. Add drug coverage on time
If you choose Original Medicare, you also need a Part D drug plan. If you go without drug coverage for 63 days or more after your Initial Enrollment Period, a late penalty can follow you. If you choose Medicare Advantage, most plans include drug coverage. Our Part D page has the details.
8. Watch for scam calls
Around your 65th birthday, the calls and mail pick up. Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit your home. If someone calls asking for your Medicare number to “verify” something, hang up. See our article on Medicare scams in Cass County.
What to do next
You do not have to do all eight steps today. Pick the next one. If you are not sure which, call us first. Cole Insure is a local, independent agency. There is no fee to work with us, and plan prices are the same as going direct. We will sit down with you by phone or video, check your doctors and medicines against the plans we offer, and let you decide. Start with your doctors and hospitals or book a free turning 65 review.
Sources
- Medicare.gov: When does Medicare coverage start
- Medicare.gov: Joining a plan (enrollment periods)
- Medicare.gov: Ready to buy a Medigap policy (Open Enrollment Period)
- Medicare.gov: Part D late enrollment penalty
- Missouri Medicare supplement regulation, 20 CSR 400-3.650
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Raymore city, Missouri
- HCA Midwest Health: About Belton Regional Medical Center