Even though it’s definitely something to cheer about, it is very important to remember that your Original Medicare (Part A and B) together still only cover 80% of your healthcare costs, and they both have deductibles and coinsurance. Put simply, your Original Medicare does not cover all of your healthcare costs by itself. Most people choose to add a Medicare Supplement plan, a prescription drug plan, or enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan to help cover the deductibles and coinsurance that Original Medicare does not.
The Social Security Office representative may reach out to you for some verifications regarding proof of citizenship or legal residency, a birth certificate, and driver’s license. It usually takes around 4-6 weeks for your card to arrive after your application has been submitted and processed.
While you are waiting for Medicare to get processed and your Medicare card to arrive, you can start reviewing your options for Medicare insurance plans. For more detailed information of all Medicare enrollment periods, click here.
No, once you have Medicare, you do not need to reapply. Just need to make sure that you continue paying your Part B and/or Part A monthly premiums.
Those who are not a US citizen or haven’t been a resident of the US for at least five years as well as those who are younger than 65 years old without disabilities. To learn more about Medicare Eligibility, click here.
Most people get Medicare at 65 years old. Anyone who has Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) qualifies at any age without having to wait. Those collecting Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) for at least 24 months can be eligible regardless of age.
No, you don’t have to. But keep in mind unless you have creditable insurance, for example an employer sponsored health coverage, you will incur a late enrollment penalty that sticks with you for life.
Medicare claim number which is also known as Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) is the number that Medicare uses to file your claims. MBI are numbers and upper-case letters that you may find on your Medicare card. If you enrolled in Medicare prior to 2018, you should have received a new Medicare card. The MBI used to be your social security number with a letter after it. Between April 2018 and April 2019 the CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicare Services which is governmental agency that administers Medicare) mailed new Medicare cards which had a new MBI instead of your social security number to prevent identity theft and tax payer fraud.
