The mail and advertisements start coming soon after you turn 64. At this point it is really too early to start to pay attention to any of the material.
Let's start out with, “When does your Medicare start?” Your Medicare coverage will start the first day of the month you turn 65. Medicare only has 12 enrollment dates a year so this makes things really simple. If you happen to be born on the first day of the month your Medicare coverage will start the month before you were born or age 64 and 11 months.
So now that we know when our Medicare coverage is set to begin lets talk about your enrollment period.
This is a seven month long window when you can enroll in Medicare Supplements, Medicare Part D stand alone prescription drug plans, and Medicare Advantage plans. This window opens three months before your coverage is set to start. So if you turn 65 in December your enrollment window begins September first. Your enrollment window also includes your birth month and three addition- al months, making the enrollment window seven months long. Your coverage starts the first day of the month you are born. You should start to look into your coverage options about four to five months away from turning 65.
One of our agents would be pleased to schedule an appointment with you so you can envision what Medicare will look like for you and which plan will best suit your needs. It costs nothing to meet with a member of our team except your time. We base all of our recommendations on your needs and preferences to ensure that you receive the cover- age that is most suitable for you. We will maintain this relationship over the years, modifying your coverage yearly to ensure that your needs are still being covered.