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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Yanfang H.
I applied for medicare online a few months ago and was withdrew by social security without a reason. How can I apply it again?
V.V.
Hi Yanfang, thanks for using our blog. To inquire on your previous application decision, please call us at 1-800-772-1213 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 W.
I would like to know what are the payment dates for November ? Since we have Election day, wondered if that made a difference.
V.V.
Hi Gloria, thank you for using our blog. The birthday of the person whose record they receive benefits under determines their payment date:
Date of Birth Payment Day:
1st through 10th Second Wednesday
11th through 20th Third Wednesday
21st through 31st Fourth Wednesday
Check out the Schedule of Social Security Payments for the current payment dates.
Barbara S.
I want to view CMS-1763 for informational purposes only. Where can I see it? I need to be sure that while I am still working and covered by a qualified health insurance plan that when I sign up for Widows benefits, I want to opt out of Part A and B so that I can continue to contribute to my HSA. When I fully retire, I will then go on it. I was told that I can still contribute to an HSA and opt out, but the representative referred me to form CMS-1763 and I just want to look at that form before I sign up for benefits
V.V.
Hi Barbara, thanks for using our blog. If you already get Social Security benefits, we’ll automatically enroll you in Medicare Hospital Insurance (Part A) and Medical Insurance (Part B). We’ll mail you all the information you need a few months before you become eligible.
Because you must pay a premium for Part B coverage, you can turn it down. However, if you decide to sign up for Part B later, your coverage can be delayed and you may have to pay a late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B coverage. Your monthly premium will go up 10 percent for each 12-month period you were eligible for Part B, but didn’t sign up for it unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.\
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on how to terminate Medicare Part B.
Lawrence J.
I applied for Medicare online 5 weeks ago and still have not heard anything bacK about my application. Is this normal? How much longer should I wait before I start worrying about my application?
V.V.
Hi Lawrence, thank you for using our blog to ask your question. 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 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) or 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.
Ottilie L.
Social Security is a live saver. It is the best thing. If there was no Social Security people like me would be depending on their children or living on the street. Thank You for Social Security
Alica J.
I DO NOT want medicare until I turn 67.
V.V.
Hi Alica, 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.
Rob L.
I want to sign up for Medicare Parts A&B during my current IEP. However I have a block on initiating a My Social Security account and was told by SSA rep at time block was placed by myself several years ago that an SSA office in-person appointment would need to be scheduled to remove it, but unsure an in-office appointment can be scheduled due to C-19 protocols.
What would be the best path forward at this point to complete the IEP Parts A&B process?
V.V.
Hi Rob, thanks for using our blog. If you are unable to apply online, call us at 1-800-772-1213 or you can contact your local Social Security office to make an appointment. 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.
Olufemi O.
Greetings.
Janet
How do I go about canceling Part B of Medicare cover, and what are the timeframes for 2012?
V.V.
Hi Janet, thanks for using our blog. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for details on how to terminate Medicare Part B.
KAREN A.
i am sorry to bother you. i am trying for find out how to sign up for part b. i haven’t had insurance for 3 yrs since
March of 2017
i have had pt a since i was 65
V.V.
Hi Karen, thanks for using our blog. If you already have Medicare Part A and need to sign up for Medicare Part B, there are some forms that you will need to complete and submit. Check out our Frequently Asked Questions web page for options on how to submit those forms. We hope this helps!