A Helpful Checklist When Preparing for Medicare
If you are nearing retirement age, it’s important to start preparing for Medicare. This federal government-sponsored health insurance program provides coverage for older adults and people with disabilities.
Enrolling in Medicare can be confusing, so it’s helpful to have a checklist of what you need to do before your eligibility date.
In this blog post, we will provide a helpful checklist of what you need to do when preparing for Medicare. We will also provide information on how to enroll in the program. Let’s get started!
Medicare Checklist: 7-9 Months Before your 65th Birthday
- Begin learning about Medicare. There is a wealth of information on https://medicarehope.com/ as well as through the different Medicare insurance companies.
- Verify your eligibility for Medicare benefits, call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213.
- Review your Social Security Benefits related to your retirement income.
- Determine whether you’ll be entitled to Medicare automatically or if you’ll need to enroll. There are two parts to Medicare: Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). Some people acquire Parts A and B automatically, while others must enroll.
- Examine your present health insurance coverage to see what happens after you retire.
- Request a summary of benefits from your current insurance company so you can compare your current coverage to Medicare.
- Do you qualify for Medicaid services.
Medicare Checklist: 4-6 months before your 65th birthday:
- Research Medicare Supplement insurance plans and learn how Medicare interacts with your other insurance coverage. This is most important if your employer-provided health insurance into retirement.
- Check with your physician(s) to see whether they accept Original Medicare and what Medicare Advantage plans they take.
- Determine how you want to acquire your healthcare coverage, particularly Medicare prescription drug insurance (Part D). Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) with a Medigap Plan G or Plan N, or a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C) are the two most common ways to get your Medicare benefits. Learn more about these various options for getting medical care.
Medicare Checklist: 1-3 months before your 65th birthday:
- Complete the Initial Enrollment Questionnaire (IEQ), this form will identify other health insurance you may have that might pay before Medicare does. This will ensure your coverage is set up correctly and reduce payment issues down the road.
- Sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B. Contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 if you don’t get your automatic enrollment information in the mail. You can also sign up online which is the preferred and fastest method.
- Make sure you enroll in Medicare early. You can sign up for Medicare three months before you turn 65, and you begin receiving benefits the first day of your birthday month. You have three months after you reach age 65 to meet the initial enrollment period requirements. (If you don’t enroll in Part A and/or Part B when you become eligible, you may do so during the General Enrollment.
- Setup auto-pay for your Part B Medicare premiums through your Social Security check.
- Receive your new red, white, and blue Medicare card in the mail.
- Sign up for a Medicare Plan to cover your Medical insurance.
- If you do not already have a Medicare supplement insurance policy, evaluate the monthly premiums and enroll in one now.
- If you haven’t already enrolled in Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, do so now.
- Review your prescription drug plan and use preferred pharmacies when possible.
Let Medicare Hope Help with your Medicare Coverage!
The process may appear difficult at first, but it need not be complicated once you have prepared in advance. Before the deadlines, Medicare enrollment can be quite simple if you take the time to plan ahead of time.
Private insurance companies provide Visit our website or contact one of our Medicare insurance agents – (562) 735-3553
