One of the most frequent inquiries we receive as agents is whether or not you need to sign up for Medicare. People often ask our agents how to sign up and what it includes. Original Medicare, often known as Parts A and B, consists of two basic components. They're funded by two different methods. One is voluntary and one is an entitlement.
Medicare Part A is a benefit that American citizens who have worked and paid FICA taxes for 40 quarters are entitled to. Once you have completed 40 quarters, you are entitled to Medicare Part A. No enrollment or registration is required. Medicare Part A will be provided to you once you turn 65. You don’t need to make a call to anyone. Simply put, you do not have to register for Part A. Medicare Part A is yours once you turn 65 and have contributed to FICA taxes for 10 years.
Medicare Part B is voluntary. You are either conditionally enrolled or you will need to sign up. Medicare Part B is paid through a monthly premium, which in 2022 is $170.10 per month. This can either be billed to you by Social Security if you are not collecting your monthly Social Security Benefit or if you are collecting your Social Security Benefit, they will conditionally enroll you in Medicare Part B and deduct the $170.10 a month from your Social Security check.
So this leaves us two groups of people that are turning 65. Those collecting their monthly benefit and those that are not.
Your Medicare card will automatically arrive if you are receiving your monthly Social Security benefit. You won’t have to do anything to enroll in Part B . The card will arrive three and half months before your Medicare coverage is set to begin. Let’s re- turn to our previous example. Your coverage would start on December 1st if you turn 65 in December. On September 1st, your enrollment period would start. Which means your Medicare card should arrive in the mail around August 15th. Most people are overwhelmed with Medicare mail solicitations to the point of exhaustion. Medicare cards frequently wind up being thrown away because they resemble junk mail. Your Medicare card comes from Health and Human services, not Social Security or Medicare.
You must sign up for Medicare Part B if you are not receiving your Social Security benefit each month. Yes, this means you have to do something to make it happen. Online enrollment is available at SSA.gov or Medicare.gov. You can also visit your nearby Social Security office or phone the agency at (800) 772-1213. Online registration is by far the quickest and simplest method. Prior to the start of your enrollment period, you cannot enroll in Medicare Part B. It should be noted that there are still three months until your coverage starts. If you do nothing, your Medicare Part A only card will arrive about two months after you turn 65.
Enrolling in Medicare is all dependent on whether or not you are collecting your Social Security Benefit.