Applying for Medicare: What Documents Do I Need?
- You’ll need to prove that you’re eligible to enroll in Medicare.
- You might need to submit documents that verify your age, citizenship, military service, and work history.
- Social Security can help you get copies of any documents you no longer have.
- your Social Security number.
- your date and place of birth.
- your citizenship status.
- the name and Social Security number of your current spouse and any former spouses.
- the date and place of any marriages or divorces you've had.
What documents do I need to apply for Medicare?
When applying for Medicare in person, you’ll need to bring the following documents with you:
- Your Social Security card (or other proof of your SSN)
- An original copy of a document proving your age, such as a birth certificate, census record, or vaccine record – if possible, it should be from before you turned five
- Documentation proving legal residency, such as a U.S. ...
What information do I need to sign up for Medicare?
- Your job-based insurance pays first, and Medicare pays second.
- If you don’t have to pay a premium for Part A, you can choose to sign up when you turn 65 (or anytime later).
- You can wait until you stop working (or lose your health insurance, if that happens first) to sign up for Part B, and you won’t pay a late enrollment penalty.
What is the easiest way to sign up for Medicare?
To Apply Online, Just Follow These Few Simple Steps:
- Go to Social Security’s Website
- Click on the “Menu” Tab.
- In the “Benefits” section, choose “Medicare”.
- Scroll down and click the “Apply for Medicare Only” button. (you will only be applying for medical coverage — not social security payments)
- In the “Apply and Complete” section, choose “Start a New Application”.
- The site will guide you from there.
How far in advance to sign up for Medicare?
You can sign up as early as three months before the month in which you turn 65 and as late as three months after your 65th-birthday month. To avoid any delay in coverage, enroll before you turn 65, says Joe Baker, of the Medicare Rights Center.
What do I need to bring to apply for Medicare?
What do you need to bring when applying for Medicare?Birth certificate. ... Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency. ... Your Social Security card (if already receiving SSA benefits) ... Health insurance information. ... Tax information. ... Military documents. ... Part B enrollment application.
What is the easiest way to apply for Medicare?
Apply online (at Social Security) – This is the easiest and fastest way to sign up and get any financial help you may need. You'll need to create your secure my Social Security account to sign up for Medicare or apply for Social Security benefits online. Call 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.
When should you start the process of signing up for Medicare?
Generally, you're first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. If you sign up for Medicare, stop your Marketplace coverage so it ends when your Medicare coverage starts. See how to change from Marketplace to Medicare.
Can you enroll in Medicare online?
Ways to sign up: Online (at Social Security) – It's the easiest and fastest way to sign up and get any financial help you may need. (You'll need to create your secure my Social Security account to sign up for Medicare or apply for benefits.) Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213. TTY users can call 1-800-325-0778.
Does Medicare automatically send you a card?
Once you're signed up for Medicare, we'll mail you your Medicare card in your welcome packet. You can also log into (or create) your secure Medicare account to print your official Medicare card. I didn't get my Medicare card in the mail. View the Medicare card if you get benefits from the Railroad Retirement Board.
Does Medicare coverage start the month you turn 65?
The date your coverage starts depends on which month you sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period. Coverage always starts on the first of the month. If you qualify for Premium-free Part A: Your Part A coverage starts the month you turn 65.
How do I know if I am automatically enrolled in Medicare?
Medicare will enroll you in Part B automatically. Your Medicare card will be mailed to you about 3 months before your 65th birthday. If you're not getting disability benefits and Medicare when you turn 65, you'll need to call or visit your local Social Security office, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.
Can I get Medicare Part B for free?
While Medicare Part A – which covers hospital care – is free for most enrollees, Part B – which covers doctor visits, diagnostics, and preventive care – charges participants a premium. Those premiums are a burden for many seniors, but here's how you can pay less for them.
How much does Medicare cost at age 62?
Reaching age 62 can affect your spouse's Medicare premiums He can still receive Medicare Part A, but he will have to pay a monthly premium for it. In 2020, the Medicare Part A premium can be as high as $458 per month.
Is Medicare Part A free at age 65?
You are eligible for premium-free Part A if you are age 65 or older and you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. You can get Part A at age 65 without having to pay premiums if: You are receiving retirement benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
Why is my first Medicare bill so high?
If you're late signing up for Original Medicare (Medicare Parts A and B) and/or Medicare Part D, you may owe late enrollment penalties. This amount is added to your Medicare Premium Bill and may be why your first Medicare bill was higher than you expected.
What is Medicare Part A and B?
Part A (Hospital Insurance): Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care. Part B (Medical Insurance): Helps cover: Services from doctors and other health care providers. Outpatient care.
How to send documents to Social Security?
The Social Security Administration requires that you send the originals of any documentation it requests. The preferred method is via postal service. Include your Social Security number on a separate sheet of paper inside of the envelope.
What documents are needed to get a birth certificate?
Each must be an authoritative, official document, such as a school, medical or census record, or an insurance policy.
Does Medicare require documentation?
Medicare doesn't require much documentation to apply. Image Credit: vaeenma/iStock/Getty Images. The Social Security Administration usually doesn't require you to send in any additional paperwork when enrolling in Medicare. However, the SSA may ask for documentation if representatives have trouble verifying the information you provide.
Check when to sign up
Answer a few questions to find out when you can sign up for Part A and Part B based on your situation.
When coverage starts
The date your Part A and Part B coverage will start depends on when you sign up.
How long does it take to get Medicare online?
A: Applying for Medicare online is easy and requires information that you’ll likely have on hand. Your initial enrollment window for Medicare spans seven months, beginning three months before the month of your 65th birthday and ending three months after that month. During this time, you have the option to sign up for Medicare online.
What happens if you miss your enrollment window for Medicare?
But know this: For each 12-month period you’re eligible for coverage but don’t apply, you’ll risk a 10% surcharge on your Part B premiums.
How long do you have to be a SEP?
You have a SEP if you were volunteering outside of the United States for at least 12 months for a tax-exempt organization and had health insurance (through the organization) that provided coverage for the duration of the volunteer service.
What happens if you don't sign up for Part B?
If you don’t sign up for Part B during your IEP, you can sign up during the GEP. The GEP runs from January 1 through March 31 of each year. If you sign up during a GEP, your Part B coverage begins July 1 of that year. You may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you sign up during the GEP. The cost of your Part B premium will go up 10% for each 12-month period that you could have had Part B but didn’tsign up. You may have to pay this late enrollment penalty aslong as you have Part B coverage.
Power of Attorney
If a loved one becomes incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves, a durable power of attorney can authorize someone else to immediately take over financial decisions and retain control for the remainder of their life. You can decide on the parameters of the power of attorney and pre-determine the scope of its authority.
Living Will
A living will is a written, legal document that outlines what medical treatments you want or do not want in terms of procedures, pain management, organ donation, and more. Discuss your concerns, questions, and wishes with your physician, family members, and trusted advisers. You will address end-of-life care, including:
Social Security Representative
If you would like someone to represent you in any dealings with the Social Security Administration, you may appoint someone by filling out the Appointment of Representative Form (SSA-1696). This representative does not need to be an attorney, but they will need to adhere to standards of conduct.
The VA Fiduciary Program
The United States Veterans Affairs Fiduciary Program was designed to help protect veterans who are unable to manage their own financial affairs. A fiduciary, chosen by the beneficiary, is appointed to oversee the financial management of VA benefit payments.
