When Do I Sign UP?
If you aren’t getting benefits from Social Security (or the RRB) at least 4 months before you turn 65, you will need to sign up with Social Security to get Medicare Parts A and B. However, if you are still working and your employer has 20 or more employees, you may be able to delay Medicare Part A and B without having to pay a penalty delete if you enroll later. If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, you should sign up for Medicare part A and B when you are first eligible. In this case, Medicare pays before your employer coverage.
Ask your benefits manager whether you have group health plan coverage (as defined by the IRS). People with group health coverage based on current employment may be able to delay Part A and Part B and would not have to pay a lifetime late enrollment penalty.
If you are eligible for premium-free Part A, you can enroll in Part A at any time after you are first eligible for Medicare. Your Part A coverage will be retroactive 6 months from when you sign up (but no earlier than the first month you were eligible for Medicare).
If you are under 65 and collecting Social Security Disability, you will automatically be enrolled into Medicare Part A and B after 24 months. If you are covered under a spouse’s employer group plan, you maybe able to decline Medicare Part B. You should check with your employer to determine whether you need to keep Medicare Part B.
You can get Medicare regardless of age if all of these apply:
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You have kidney failure.
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You need regular dialysis or have had a kidney transplant.
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One of these applies to you:
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You've worked the required amount of time under Social Security, the Railroad Retirement Board (RRB), or as a government employee.
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You’re already getting or are eligible for Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits.
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You’re the spouse or dependent child of a person who meets either of the requirements listed above.
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In most cases, you do not need to do anything until you (or your spouse) retire or you lose the employer coverage. If you did not enroll when you were first eligible, the size of the employer determines whether you have to pay a penalty if you enroll later. If you are not sure contact us.