How to Join Medicare Part A

Medicare is health insurance designed for those over the age of 65, people younger than 65 with disabilities or anyone with end-stage renal disease. The insurance is broken into 4 parts -- A through D -- with each part requiring its own enrollment process. Part A is focused on hospital insurance that covers inpatient care, hospice, home health care and nursing facility coverage. Part A enrollment is automatic and free for most Americans as long as they have paid into the Medicare system during their working lives. However, Part A insurance can be purchased, too, under certain circumstances.

Things You'll Need

• Social Security number

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Instructions

Join by Automatic Enrollment

• 1

  Pay into the Medicare system by working at least 10 years in Medicare-covered employment. Most workers and the self-employed make Medicare tax payments with every paycheck, which means they are automatically enrolled in Part A Medicare at the age of 65 (see Tips).

• 2

  Receive Social Security disability or retirement benefits, or railroad retirement checks and automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A. If you are receiving any of these, three months before you turn age 65, the Social Security office will send information about auto enrollment. No request need be made for this information to arrive in your mailbox.

• 3

  Contact Social Security if you have not retired but are three months away from the age of 65 and have paid Medicare taxes. You do not have to retire to receive Medicare Part A. Call the Social Security office at 800-772-1213 to start the enrollment process.

Join by Purchase

• 4

  Use the Medicare eligibility tool at the Medicare website to discover if you are eligible for Medicare Part A. The tool will reveal the dates you are eligible for Part A and the premiums you will be required to pay (see Resources).

• 5

  Contact the Social Security office if you are age 65 or older, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and you have enrolled or are in the process of enrolling in Medicare Part B. You may be able to join Part A by paying a monthly premium in addition to the Part B premium.

• 6

  Contact the Social Security office if you are disabled, under the age of 65 and your free Part A coverage ended when you returned to work. You may be able to purchase a Part A premium or existing premiums may be extended by the Social Security office.