Before applying for Medicare online, make sure that you meet the requirements; you must be 65 years of age or older or qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance.
To apply online, visit the Social Security website www.socialsecurity.gov/medicare/apply.html. When applying, make sure that you have the following information available to you:
- If you weren’t born in the United States,
- Name of you birth country at the time of your birth
- Permanent Resident Card number
- Start and end dates of the current employer who provides your health insurance coverage
- Start and end dates for the Group Health Insurance provided by your current employer
- Medicaid Number and start and end dates
After you have all of this information, you may begin the application process. The application may take between 10-30 minutes to complete.
When you have finished your application and submitted it, the Social Security office will follow up with you with any questions. In order to check the status of your application, create a my Social Security account.
To search for the plans available to you in your area, use the Medicare Plan Finder website. By using this site, you can find the plans available to you for comparison.
You can enroll or change your plan during two different times. Open enrollment starts on October 15 and ends of December 7th every year. During this time you can enroll or change your plan. Another option is to enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). This period starts 3 months prior to your 65th birthday, includes the month of your birthday, and three months after. If you delayed enrolling in Medicare because you were still working, you have two months after retiring or coverage ends.
