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At What Age Should I Apply for Medicare?

Medicare is a public health insurance program provided by the federal government to senior citizens. The general age for receiving Medicare coverage is when you turn 65 years old, with a few exceptions, such as if you are disabled. Periods in which you can apply for the different parts of Medicare coverage vary according to your conditions and the regulations that apply to each part.

  1. Automatic Enrollment

    • As of 2011, Medicare Part A is a type of hospital insurance. It helps you pay for hospital costs you have when you need to stay for treatment. Medicare Part A does not require monthly payments, because you pay for it through Medicare tax. Part B is medical insurance, and it helps you pay for doctor visits and preventive care. Some people are automatically enrolled for Medicare Part A and Part B. If you already receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits, your coverage starts automatically on the first of the month in which you turn 65 years of age, and you do not need to sign up for Part A or B. If you turn 65 on the first of the month, your coverage starts on the first of the previous month.

    Signing Up for Part A and Part B

    • If you do not yet receive Social Security benefits, you must sign up for Parts A and B if you want to have this coverage. If you have paid Medicare tax, Part A is free. Part B coverage requires payment of monthly premiums, however. You can sign up for Parts A and B when you are first eligible for them, which is during the initial enrollment period. This period starts three months before you turn 65 years of age and lasts for the month of your birthday and the three months after it. Individuals who have group insurance provided by their employers (or any other insurance or benefits) are sometimes required to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B to keep their current group coverage, while others can lose their coverage by signing up for Part B.

    Medicare Part C

    • Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage Plan, consists of health insurance that is provided by private companies approved by Medicare. Medicare C plans offer Part A and B coverage, plus some additional coverage that varies with the type of plan you pick. You can join a Medicare Advantage Plan during the initial enrollment period. You can also sign up for it before you are 65 years of age if you have a disability. In the case of disability, the period during which you can sign up for Part C starts three months before your 25th month of disability and ends three months afterward.

    Medicare Part D

    • Medicare Part D pays for the costs of prescription drugs. If you do not want to enroll in a Part C plan, or if your Medicare Part C does not include prescription drugs, you might want to join a Part D plan. To sign up for Medicare Part D, you should do so by the initial enrollment period date, which goes from three moths before your 65th birthday until three months after. If you do not sign up for Part D at this age, you can sign up later, but you will pay a monthly penalty.

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