Apply for Medicare Online
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: November 2, 2023
You can apply for Medicare online even if you are not ready to start your retirement benefits. Applying online can take less than 10 minutes. There are no forms to sign and we usually require no documentation. We’ll process your application and contact you if we need more information.
Visit apply for Medicare and find other important information. If you’re eligible for Medicare at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after that birthday.
Some Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for Extra Help with their Medicare prescription drug plan costs. To qualify for Extra Help, a person must be receiving Medicare, have limited resources and income, and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia. Read our publication, Understanding the Extra Help with Medicare Prescription Drug Costs, for more information.
Medicare also offers many online services where you can find out:
- What does Medicare cover?
- Where do I find forms for filing a Medicare appeal?
- Where do I let someone speak with Medicare on my behalf?
- What do Medicare health and prescription drug plans in my area cost, and what services do they offer?
- Which doctors, health care providers, and suppliers participate in Medicare?
- Where can I find out more about a Medicare prescription drug plan (Part D) and enroll?
- Where can I find a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy in my area?
Please share these helpful resources with someone you care about today.
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Tags: Medicare
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Darlynda Bogle, Assistant Deputy Commissioner
Darlynda Bogle, Assistant Deputy Commissioner
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Thomas C.
I am glad I’m signed up to Social Security and Social Security update and daily publications for 10+ years- as well as CDC and other USA’s government health services daily. Give Americans unfiltered news and much needed facts. No one can expect all details to be covered on commercial media. Thank, Thom C, Florida
Lynn W.
I havent applied for medicare because its more expensive than the insurance I have at my job. Until you can come up with something elderly people can actually afford Im out
Vonda V.
Hi Lynn, thanks for using our blog. 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 which is why we advise people to apply for Medicare benefits as soon as they are eligible. However, if you were covered under a group health plan based on your or your spouse’s current employment, you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) that will let you sign up for Medicare Part B. You have an 8-month SEP to sign up for Part A and/or Part B that starts at one of these times (whichever happens first):
• The month after the employment ends
• The month after group health plan insurance based on current employment ends.
Usually, you don’t pay a late enrollment penalty if you sign up during a SEP.
If you don’t qualify for an SEP, you will have to wait for the General Enrollment Period (GEP) to sign up. The GEP lasts from January 1 through March 31. Coverage would begin July 1. Most people who sign up for Part B during the GEP will have a 10 percent increase in monthly premiums for each 12-month period they did not enroll, but were eligible.
You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Rosa
No me cubre, estoy viviendo. Fuera de USA.
Lynn
you cant speak english you must not be a citizen and you shouldnt be allowed to receive medicare
Vonda V.
Hello Rosa!
For information in Spanish, please visit us at http://www.segurosocial.gov or http://www.facebook.com/segurosocial.
For Social Security information in other languages, please visit us at http://www.socialsecurity.gov/multilanguage.
Thanks!
Daniel V.
Are the Medicare supplemental programs related to ‘OBAMACARE’. If so I will refuse them. Do not want to allow Communism’ to effect my life.
Vonda V.
Hi Daniel, thanks for using our blog. If you have questions related to Supplemental (Medigap) policies, Medicare Advantage Plans or Medicare Part D (Prescription Drug Plans), please call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) or visit http://www.medicare.gov. We hope this helps.
Roberto A.
I have medicare now, is something changing? Do I need to reapply?
Vonda V.
Hi Roberto, thanks for using our blog. We are happy to hear you have Medicare. Nothing is changing. Thank you!
David S.
I just turned 65 in September and only requested Plan A and received my Medicare card with Plan A.
Now I want Plan B, so I sent the Plan B application to the Alabama S.S. office at the end of September with no reply. I sent another Plan B application the second week of October closer to my home in Sunrise Florida Office still no reply.
Vonda V.
For your security, David, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Caroline J.
I was told that I was not eligible for Medicare. I’m 56, physically and mentally disabled and I’m on SSI.
Vonda V.
Hi Caroline, thanks for using our blog. Although Medicare is most commonly used by people age 65 or older, some younger people are eligible for Medicare, too. Those include people eligible for Social Security disability, permanent kidney failure and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease). Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for additional details. We hope this is helpful!
Walt
Awful roundabout answer!!
Just answer the question that applies to the inquirer…
The inquirer is only on SSI Disability. Therefore she can’t get Medicare until age 65.
Robert F.
I applied on-line for Medicare Part B on September 21,2020 and have not heard anything back. I can be reached at 718-768-0353 or 646-584-9670.
Vonda V.
Hi Robert, thanks for using our blog. You can log in to or create a my Social Security account to check the status of your application online.
If you are unable to check your status online, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213 for assistance or you can contact your local Social Security office. Please look for the general inquiry telephone number at the Social Security Office Locator. The number may appear under Show Additional Office Information. Please be aware that our call wait times are longer than normal. We hope this information helps.
Gloria L.
I will be retiring from the federal government on November 30, 2020. Can I still apply with Medicare even if I will have insurance through the federal government?
Vonda V.
Hi Gloria, thanks for using our blog. 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 which is why we advise people to apply for Medicare benefits as soon as they are eligible. However, as a federal retiree, you may want to check with the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for details. We hope this helps!
Carmen B.
I am 65 but have insurance through my job and at this time dont want or need Medicare. Is this a problem?
Vonda V.
Hi Carmen, thanks for using our blog. If you have medical insurance coverage under a group health plan based on your or your spouse’s current employment, you may not need to apply for Medicare Part B at age 65. You may qualify for a “Special Enrollment Period” (SEP) that will let you sign up for Part B during:
•Any month you remain covered under the group health plan and you, or your spouse’s, employment continues.
•The 8-month period that begins with the month after your group health plan coverage or the employment it is based on ends, whichever comes first.
We always suggest that individuals speak to their personnel office, health benefits advisor, or health plan representative to see what’s best for them, and to prevent any penalties or delayed enrollment in the future.