Medicare is a federally administered, comprehensive health care program for elderly and disabled Americans. Part B is the portion of Medicare that provides outpatient coverage for Medicare recipients. Part B is optional to take and has associated costs. Whether you are new to Medicare or have just recently decided you need Part B, enrolling is easy as long as you are in a qualified period to do so.
Instructions
1. Determine why you are eligible for Medicare. If you are eligible due to disability, you do not need to actively enroll in Part B. You will receive a package in the mail three months before you are eligible to begin receiving Medicare benefits (the 24th month after you began receiving SSDI insurance) that will explain your Medicare benefits and include your Medicare card. Once you are eligible, you are automatically enrolled into original Medicare. If you are eligible due to age, then you will have to follow the following steps to actively enroll.
2. Decide how you want to receive your Part B benefit. The enrollment processes are different for original Medicare and Medicare private health plans, also called Medicare Advantage. Original Medicare offers the standard government-issue Part B benefit, while Medicare Advantage may offer more benefits at a higher cost. Medicare Advantage plans are also typically packaged with Part A (inpatient hospital coverage) and Part D (Medicare's prescription drug plan). It is important to research which would be most cost effective for you based on your health care needs.
3. Make sure you are currently eligible to enroll. You cannot elect to take Part B or join a private health plan any time of the year. If you are recently eligible, then you have an Initial Enrollment Period that lasts the seven months surrounding your eligibility month (three months before, the month itself, and three months after). After that, you can make changes only twice a year. The first one is the the Annual Coordinated Election Period, which lasts from November 15 to December 31. During this time you may opt to take Part B and join or leave Medicare Advantage plans as often as you'd like. The second period is the General Enrollment Period, which lasts from January 1 through March 31. Unlike the Annual Coordinated Election Period, you are limited to making only one change during the General Enrollment Period.
If you are not in an enrollment period, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Contact the Social Security Administration to see if you are eligible.
4. Call the plan you want if you are enrolling in a private health plan. Explain you'd like to enroll. Be sure to write down the name of the operator you spoke to and the time that you called in case anything goes wrong in the enrollment process. If you want to enroll in original Medicare's Part B benefit, you will need to do so through the Social Security Administration. You can do this through any of their offices, or you may write a signed and dated letter explaining when you'd like to enroll in Part B. Include your name and Social Security number.
Tags: Medicare Advantage, Enrollment Period, Part benefit, private health, Social Security, three months, actively enroll