How to Apply for Medicare
If you qualify for Social Security, you qualify for Medicare. Medicare is the medical insurance plan available for those over sixty-five or disabled individuals. There have been many proposed changes to Medicare recently, but the application process has remained essentially the same.
What is Medicare?
Medicare is a government program designed to ensure all elderly citizens of the United States have adequate health insurance. To be eligible for Medicare, you must be sixty-five or older. You may be younger with a disability or long-term disease. You must also have earned coverage by working (or being married to someone who worked) in a Medicare qualifying position for ten years.
Medicare helps to cover doctor’s visits, prescriptions and special items such as hearing aids or insulin pumps. Medicare Part A is free for those eligible, and Medicare Part B is an additional payment of about $50 taken directly from your Social Security check. There is also a program called Medigap insurance which helps to cover anything not already covered by Medicare Part A or B.
Applying for Medicare
If you’re already receiving Social Security payments, you’ll automatically be registered for Medicare three months before you turn 65. If you’re not already receiving Social Security, you can apply yourself three months before you turn 65 or wait and apply in the next general enrollment period following your birthday.
You can only enroll in Medicare through the Social Security office. You can arrange forms over the phone at (800) 772-1213 or in your local Social Security office. When you’re applying you’ll need your Social Security Card, your driver’s license or identification card, your birth certificate and any other insurance you may have. You should also strongly consider bringing your medical records such as doctors and previous treatments, especially if you’re apply for Medicare with a disability.
For additional questions about applying for Medicare, contact your local Social Security office or visit the Social Security website.
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