When a 65th birthday is coming up, the mail from insurance companies can pile up fast. Take a breath. You only need to do a few things, in the right order, and we can help with each one.
Your Medicare checklist, month by month
Your Initial Enrollment Period is your first chance to sign up for Medicare. It is 7 months long. It starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it.
About 3 months before your birthday month
- Decide if you need Part B now or if work coverage lets you wait. If you are still working, read working past 65 first.
- Sign up for Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctor visits) through Social Security, online, by phone or at a local office. If you already get Social Security checks, this is usually done for you.
- Make a list of your doctors, your medicines with doses, and your pharmacy. You will use it to compare plans.
About 2 months before
- Watch for your red, white and blue Medicare card. Keep it somewhere safe.
- Choose your path: a Medicare Supplement with a separate Part D drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. More on that below.
- Call us first, before you sign anything a mailer or a TV ad asks you to sign.
The month before your birthday month
- Apply for the plan you picked so it can start on the first day of your birthday month.
- If you picked a Supplement, also pick a Part D drug plan.
Your birthday month and after
- Your Medicare and your new plan start. Carry both cards.
- Your Medigap open enrollment period begins once you are 65 and have Part B. It lasts 6 months.
- Each fall, check that your plan still covers your doctors and medicines for the next year.
Signing up for Parts A and B
You sign up for Parts A and B through Social Security, not through an insurance company. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A. Part B has a monthly premium. You can see this year's amounts on our Medicare costs page.
If you miss your sign-up window and do not have other coverage that counts, you may pay a late penalty for as long as you have Part B. Our penalties section explains it in plain words.
If you are still working at 65
Some people can wait on Part B while they have health coverage from their own job or a spouse's job. Whether that is safe depends on how many people work for the employer and what kind of coverage it is. Please do not guess. Read working past 65, then ask your benefits office and call us.
Supplement or Advantage?
Once you have Parts A and B, you choose how to fill the gaps.
- A Medicare Supplement (Medigap) helps pay what Original Medicare does not. You can see any doctor in the country who takes Medicare. You add a separate Part D plan for medicines.
- A Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) is an all-in-one plan from a private company. Most include drug coverage. Most use a network, and some care may need approval from the plan first (called prior authorization).
See the side by side table on Medicare basics. Networks in Kansas City change every year, so we check your doctors and hospital for you before you choose.
Do not skip Part D
Part D covers prescription drugs. Even if you take few medicines today, signing up when you are first eligible helps you avoid a Part D late penalty later. The one exception is if you have other drug coverage that is at least as good as Medicare's (called creditable coverage).
Why the Medigap open enrollment period matters
Your Medigap open enrollment period is the 6 months that start the first month you are 65 and have Part B. During this time, a company must sell you any Supplement it offers, and it cannot charge you more or say no because of your health.
After those 6 months, most companies can ask health questions and can turn you down. This window does not come back each year. If you think you may want a Supplement, this is the time. Missouri has an extra yearly rule that Kansas does not. See Missouri vs Kansas.
Call us first
Before you change anything, talk with a local agent. We compare plans from many insurance companies, look at your doctors and medicines, and explain your choices in plain words. It is free to work with us, the price is the same as going direct, and we are here all year. You can also book a free review or call (816) 307-6165.
Get the one-page checklist
Send us your name and number. A licensed agent will email or mail you the one-page Turning 65 checklist and can go over it with you by phone.
Questions people ask us
Do I have to sign up for Medicare at 65 if I am still working?
Not always. It depends on the size of your employer and the kind of coverage you have. See working past 65, or call us and we will go over your situation.
Will Social Security sign me up on its own?
If you already get Social Security retirement checks before 65, you are usually signed up for Parts A and B on your own, and your card comes in the mail. If not, you sign up yourself through Social Security.
When is the best time to buy a Medicare Supplement?
For most people, it is during the Medigap open enrollment period. That is the 6 months that start the month you are 65 and have Part B. During that time, companies cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health.
Does it cost anything to have you look at my choices?
No. Our help is free, and the price of a plan is the same with us or without us.