How to Sign Up for Medicare Part A & Part B

Already receiving Social Security retirement benefits? You're enrolled automatically and don't need to apply. Your card arrives in the mail before your 65th birthday month.

Gather this first

Your Social Security number
Your place of birth — city, state, country
Start and end dates for any group health plan you have through an employer
Start and end dates for any group health plan you had after age 65
A government-issued photo ID, an email address, and your phone

Those coverage dates are where people get stuck. Ask HR or check your benefits portal before you sit down to apply.

Create a Login.gov account

Create your account here:

www.login.gov or www.id.me

Then sign in to Social Security: ssa.gov/myaccount

This account must be created by you, in your own name. No one else may create or use it for you — not a spouse, not a child, not your agent. If you can't get through identity verification, call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 and make an appointment instead.

Start the application

Go to ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up and choose Apply for myself. Accept the terms of service, then sign in with the account you just created.

You'll be given a re-entry number at the start. Write it down. It's how you get back into an application you didn't finish in one sitting.

Applying for Medicare does not start your retirement check and does not reduce your future benefit. They're separate decisions.

Re-entry number: ________________________________________

Answer the questions

The application asks for your name exactly as it appears on your Social Security record, your place of birth, and whether you want Part A and Part B or Part A only.

Part A is hospital coverage. It costs nothing if you or your spouse worked about 10 years.
Part B is medical coverage and has a monthly premium. Take it unless you're still working with real employer coverage.

When asked about coverage through current employment, retiree coverage and COBRA do not count — even though they come from an employer. Answering this wrong is the most common cause of a permanent Part B late penalty. Call me before you answer if you're unsure.

Sign and submit

Review the summary, sign electronically, and submit. A confirmation number appears on screen right away. Print or screenshot that page before you close the browser.

Confirmation number: ______________________ Date submitted: ______________

What happens next

You'll have your Medicare number as soon as your application is approved — before the red, white, and blue card reaches your mailbox. As soon as you have it, call James Beckstrom at 248-289-5663 to provide your Medicare number, or schedule an appointment. If you schedule online, include your Medicare number in the appointment notes.
Your card itself arrives by mail, usually within a few weeks. If your coverage start date is in the future, it may come closer to that date.
Check your application status any time by signing back in at ssa.gov.
Once you have your Medicare number, we choose the rest — a Medigap plan or a Medicare Advantage plan, plus Part D drug coverage. Those are enrolled separately, and that's the part I handle with you.

When to apply

Your Initial Enrollment Period runs seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday month, the birthday month itself, and the three months after.

Apply in the first three months and coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. Wait until after, and coverage starts later.

Other ways to obtain your Medicare number and enroll in Part A and/or Part B

Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778), weekdays 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and say you want to sign up for Medicare Parts A and B.

If you have end-stage renal disease, you must apply by phone — that one isn't available online.

Provided as general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and websites change — ssa.gov is always the final word. Secure Insurance is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.

How to sign up for Medicare Part A & Part B