I will be 65 in March. When should I sign up for Medicare coverage.?

I don't want to lose my insurance coverage while I am switching....

I don't want to lose my insurance coverage while I am switching.

PJ	Usually social security/medicare contact you via mail about 4 months before your 65th birthday - if they don't contact you, you can give them a call.

Larry E	Medicare will send you the needed paper work. You will also start receiving about a million letters from insurance company's for supplemental insurance. You should get a supplemental insurance also because medicare alone doesn't pay that well. See I told you that they would bug you on insurance. Look below.

Sassydude	They shpould be sending you some info this month.. Also dont forget Plan d for drugs

Insurance Biz CT	If you are currently receiving Social Security payments, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare. If not, you should contact the local Social Security Office. Your benefits will be effective the first of the month in which you turn 65. Your Initial Eligibility Period for enrollment in Medicare Supplements and Medicare Part D is the three months prior and the three months after your month of eligibility. You don't need to contact Social Services for this, nor will Social Security enroll you in these plans. Contact a local agent that specializes in senior services. They will guide you through the maze.

Insure Man	Typically, you have a six month window in which to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B, a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan, and Part D prescription drug coverage - 3 months on either side of your birthday. It is best to get stared early. You will need to make an appt with a social worker from Medicare to enroll. Then you can choose a good supplement and Part D plan. I recommend plan F or J. Plan J fills in all eight gaps while F fills in 6 of eight gaps in Medicare. You will be guaranteed eligible for both. http://www.ohioinsureplan.com/index.php/99/most-popular-medicare-supplement-plans/

KG Mom	You should start seeing info in the mail soon. If you don't have it by Dec 1, I would contact SSA. Look at all the plans carefully. My dad turned 65 a few years ago and told me to find the best plan for him and I realized a few very important things. 1. The plan choices are determined by the gov't 2. The carrier is actually what matters. (I didn't want to put him on a carrier that could pull out of the area. Which happens more than you realize. We went with BCBS, because of their government contracts, which require them to stay) 3. If you can afford it, get a PPO We put him on the plan that does not cover the Part B deductible ($110 per year) BUT does cover home health care. And my reason for that is that if he goes broke and calls me and says I need $110, I can write that check, no problem. But if he calls me and says "I'm getting my other knee replaced and need $10K for the home health care", I might struggle with that call. As far as Part D, goes, that's a whole other ball game. You need to choose that carrier based on your current prescriptions and you will have to research it every year. Assuming you get your prescriptions at one pharmacy, they can run a report for you that will list all the Part D companies and the cheapest place to get Part D. However, it changes every year, based on formulary changes. Isn't this fun?