If you're automatically enrolled, you'll get your Medicare card in the mail 3 months before your 65th birthday or your 25th month of disability.
You'll be auto enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B if:
You're 65, and already receiving benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.
How do I know if I'm enrolled in Medicare? Adults automatically enrolled in Medicare get a Medicare card in the mail before turning 65. If you don't get your Medicare card, or you're not sure if you're enrolled in Medicare, contact the Social Security office.
If you're already getting benefits from Social Security (or Railroad Retirement Board), you'll automatically get Medicare. If not, you'll need to sign up. Answer a few questions to find out how you get Medicare.
If you're already getting benefits from Social Security or the RRB, you'll automatically be enrolled in both Part A and Part B starting the 1st day of the month you turn 65. If your birthday is on the 1st day of the month, Part A and Part B will start the 1st day of the prior month.
Part A late enrollment penalty
If you have to buy Part A, and you don't buy it when you're first eligible for Medicare, your monthly premium may go up 10%. You'll have to pay the penalty for twice the number of years you didn't sign up.
Most Americans will enroll in a Medicare or a Medicare Advantage plan when they turn 65, and some will pay a significant penalty for late enrollment. However, if you're 65 or older and still working with employer-based health insurance, you may not be required to enroll.
Some people get Medicare automatically, others have to actively sign up -- it depends if you start getting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security before you turn 65.
If you don't get premium-free Part A, you pay up to $505 each month. If you don't buy Part A when you're first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty. Most people pay the standard Part B monthly premium amount ($174.70 in 2024).
If you qualify for Premium-free Part A: Your Part A coverage starts the month you turn 65. (If your birthday is on the first of the month, coverage starts the month before you turn 65.)
While Medicare enrollment is managed by the Social Security Administration, access to your Medicare account online is handled separately. Once you have a Medicare number, you can create a free MyMedicare login account through Medicare.
People with group health coverage based on current employment may be able to delay Part A and Part B. They won't have to pay a lifetime late enrollment penalty if they enroll later. If your employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare generally pays first.
Part B is optional. Part B helps pay for covered medical services and items when they are medically necessary. Part B also covers some preventive services like exams, lab tests, and screening shots to help prevent, find, or manage a medical problem.
In most cases, Medicare re-enrollment is automatic so you only have to enroll in Medicare once. After you're enrolled in Medicare, your coverage will continue unless you decide to make changes. Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans, Part D plans and Medigap plans all automatically renew.
Medicare Part B Premium and Deductible
The standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B enrollees will be $174.70 for 2024, an increase of $9.80 from $164.90 in 2023. The annual deductible for all Medicare Part B beneficiaries will be $240 in 2024, an increase of $14 from the annual deductible of $226 in 2023.
Many people choose to keep working past 65 and keep their coverage under their employer's group plan. But if you've been paying into Medicare via payroll deductions, you may as well enroll in Original Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) when you're first eligible, as you'll pay no premium.
You can get Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time. However, if you are younger than full retirement age and make more than the yearly earnings limit, we will reduce your benefits. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, we will not reduce your benefits no matter how much you earn.
To drop Part B (or Part A if you have to pay a premium for it), you usually need to send your request in writing and include your signature. Contact Social Security.
If you have Medicare Part B medical insurance, your premiums are automatically deducted from your Social Security check and your monthly premiums are based on your income. Most Part B enrollees will have $174.70 deducted from their Social Security each month in 2024. The amount increases if you have a high income.
Some employers don't continue to offer retiree health coverage for former employees once they turn 65, opting instead for retirees to transition to being covered solely by Medicare. Without coverage from your company, you'll need Medicare to ensure that you are covered for potential health issues that arise as you age.
You don't need to notify Social Security that you're turning 65. Instead, you apply for Social Security when you want your benefits to start, which could be as early as age 62 or as late as age 70.
The Part A penalty is 10% added to your monthly premium. You generally pay this extra amount for twice the number of years that you were eligible for Part A but not enrolled. For example, suppose that: You were eligible for Medicare in 2021, but you didn't sign up until 2023.
Declining Part B Coverage
If you decline Part B coverage, you may be faced with late penalties when you sign up at a later time. Unlike with Part A, this will not cause you to lose your Social Security benefits. This is because you do not pay taxes for Medicare Part B.
In most cases, if you don't sign up for Medicare when you're first eligible, you may have to pay a higher monthly premium. More information on Medicare late enrollment penalties: Part A Late Enrollment Penalty (Medicare.gov) Part B Late Enrollment Penalty (Medicare.gov)