29 thoughts on “How To Sign Up for Medicare 2018 (& When)

  1. I too did not have a clue about this and you made everything very clear for me to understand, especially as I am an immigrant from the UK where we have a very different system.Thank you!

  2. This was extremely helpful. You explain things very clearly. I will be looking at your other videos,Here is my question: I turn 65 in 8 months. I am still employed so I want to delay Part B. My employer pays my medical premium 100%. I am confused about the “creditable coverage.” You said that you can start Part B anytime. I thought you still had to start Part B during an official enrollment period. If not, does “any time” truly mean whenever I want? Is there no waiting period? And no penalty? I don’t want to be caught with no Part B coverage when I do decide to retire.

    • Sandra, thank you for your kind words. You have a great question on a subject that does confuse a lot of people. Assuming your employer has at least 20 employees (smaller companies have different rules), you can delay enrolling in Medicare Part B and Part D indefinately, as long as you have creditable group-health coverage. Virtually all employee based health coverage is creditable. You can then enroll in Medicare Part B at any time. The only stipulation is that Medicare Part B always starts on the first day of a month. You get your own SEP (Special Enrollment Period) that you can initiate at any time. If you lose your group health insurance, you then have an 8-month window to enroll in Medicare. This is important because your guarantee enrollment into a Medigap Plan is predicated on your Part B start date. You can find more detail in the Special Circumstances section on this web page: https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/get-parts-a-and-b/when-sign-up-parts-a-and-b/when-sign-up-parts-a-and-b.html

  3. I turn 65 on April 1st. I work full time and my employer pays 100% of my insurance. I do not receive SS and dont plan on receiving until I turn 66. My employer has less plan 20 employees do I need to sign up for part B? Everything else was very information and helpful

    • Hi Kathleen. Thank you for your question. I touch on the subject at the 8:40 mark with “Exception #3”, but I see where I could have been more clear. You will need to get both Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B because Medicare will be your primary insurance. Your employee health insurance will be secondary, kind of like a supplement but not as good. I do not know the quality of your coverage (deductibles, copays and network). However, you may consider negotiating with your employer to take you off group healthcare and provide funds to purchase a Medicare supplment. It is very, very likely that this will save your employer money while also providing you with better healthcare coverage. https://www.medicare.gov/sign-up-change-plans/get-parts-a-and-b/should-you-get-part-b/should-i-get-part-b.html#collapse-3156 “The employer has fewer than 20 employees. You should sign up for Part A and Part B when you’re first eligible. In this case, Medicare pays before your other coverage. Learn more about how to get Parts A and B.
      Note
      If you don’t enroll when you’re first eligible, you may have to pay a Part B late enrollment penalty, and you may have a gap in coverage if you decide you want Part B later.”

  4. I will turn 65 August 27, 2018, so I guess I can sign up on June 1, 2018. I am receiving social security under my deceased husband’s benefits. Will I automatically be enrolled in Part A when I turn 65? Also, I am retired from my employer, but have stayed enrolled in the medical plan by paying a high monthly premium. The employer offers a supplemental insurance plan after turning 65 with comparable coverage. Does that qualified as credible coverage and considered Part B or do I need to sign up for Part B?

    • Hi Trudy. Thank you for your questions. I cannot give personal advice over YouTube. Please feel free to call me at 800-847-9680 during the week. I will be happy to personally answer your questions.

  5. Thanks for the useful information. Are the rules the same for Federal employees. Please direct me to your video(s) that address this topic.

    • Thank you, Barbara. It’s important that you have and understand all the information you need to make an informed decision. That’s my goal in my videos and with my clients.

  6. Very well presented… best I’ve heard so far….I do have a question though… at the end when u were talking about the HSA account….my question…. so even with part A you cannot contribute to an HSA? My husband is turning 65 June 1st… so we should stop the HSA now?

  7. Very good but still don’t know if I should sign up for Med Part  B.  I am employed and not sure when I will retire,  If I give my employer the standard 2 weeks notice, when will I be covered by Med Part B.

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