Jim Sutton’s Weblog

I’m now a couple of months from Medicare age, so I decided it was time to find out more.  Here are a few important lessons I’ve learned:

You can apply for Medicare without penalty in a 6 month window (3 months before to 3 months after) around your 65th birthday.  For more information, click here.

Lesson 1: Apply for Medicare as soon as you are able.  Getting your Medicare card will take 30-45 days, and the Medicare card will come with lots of other materials that MAY be beneficial (not sure–I haven’t gotten mine yet).

Online registration for Medicare is not offered at this time; you can register for Medicare by calling 1-800-Medicare or by going to a local social security office.  You can register for supplemental drug coverage on line.  I went to the local Social Security office and was quite disappointed to find that the person with whom I met could register me for Medicare but could not answer ANY of my Medicare questions.

Lesson 2: Always make an appointment before going to the Social Security Office

Lesson 3: Assume the people at the Social Security office won’t know anything about Medicare.

Lesson 4: Register for medicare over the phone directly with Medicare.

Lesson 5: The Medicare.gov web site has lots of good information and a moderately useful tool for determining candidates for Part D (prescription drug benefits) plans you might choose.

Lesson 6: Supplemental medical plans are standardized into plans identified by letters (e.g., A,F, J, etc).  You should choose which plan best meets your needs and then look at insurers serving your area to compare costs and participants’ evaluations of the plans (available at medicare.gov)

Lesson 7: The choice of supplemental medical plans and drug coverage plans is much more difficult than it should be.

Lesson 8: Sign up for Medicare on time.  There is a lifelong cost penalty for not doing so.