Medicare Part A is known as hospital insurance. Part A covers inpatient hospital care, limited home health care services, hospice care, and limited time in a skilled nursing care facility. There is often confusion on when and how to sign up for Medicare and its different parts. Here are the details on enrolling in Medicare Part A.
When You Can Enroll
If you aren’t receiving retirement benefits or aren’t eligible for retirement benefits, you will have to sign up for Medicare Part A manually during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). Your IEP starts three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month that you turn 65, and ends three months later. If you sign up during general enrollment, January 1 through March 31, your coverage won’t start until July 1st.
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If you are already receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits when you turn 65, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A. If you’re receiving certain disability benefits from Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board, you will automatically be enrolled after 24 months of receiving disability benefits.
You will also have the option to postpone signing up for Medicare Part A if you’re not retired yet and still receiving group medical insurance from an employer or union. If you lose your group insurance or you decide you want to switch to Medicare, you can sign up at any time that you are still covered by the group insurance or during your Special Enrollment Period (SEP). SEP is an eight-month period after your employment ends or your group coverage ends.
How you can enroll
You can enroll by visiting www.SocialSecurity.gov, visiting your local Social Security office, and by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
Related Links
Medicare Part A and B Won’t Cover These Services
2017 Medicare Part A and B Costs
3 Medicare Enrollment Rules You Must Know
The new Medicare Plus Card saves you up to 75% on things not covered by Medicare
Medicare doesn’t cover everything. Luckily, those on Medicare can now start saving on out of pocket expenses like prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, and more. Over 1 million people have already received their free Medicare Plus Card.
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