# Medicare sign up question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038 "2023-01-11T15:34:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/1 "2023-01-11T15:34:08Z")
I just signed up for Medicare online via the SS website. During the process I was asked if I wanted to sign up for Part B (I did). After completing and submitting the form it occurred to me that Part A was never mentioned. Am I correct that it was a given (thus not necessary to state it) that I was enrolling in Part A? Thanks! mmm ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/2 "2023-01-11T15:36:49Z")
You are correct. Part A is a given, Part B is apparently optional. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/3 "2023-01-11T15:52:52Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Part A is a given Do they just automatically send a card to arrive before your 65th birthday? Does part A kick in on your 65th birthday? ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/4 "2023-01-11T15:56:10Z")
I don’t remember exactly when they sent me my card, but yes, Medicare starts on your 65th birthday. Everything you want to know about Medicare can be found [here](https://www.medicare.gov/). You still have to sign up for it. It doesn’t automatically happen as far as I know. You sign up for it in advance. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/5 "2023-01-11T15:57:35Z")
Thanks! My birthday is a month from now, I’ll stop procrastinating tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/6 "2023-01-11T16:03:27Z")
Medicare coverage may not be as good as the health insurance you currently have. Many insurance companies have Medicare Supplement or Medicare Advantage plans (sometimes called Medigap plans) that are relatively cheap and provide additional coverage, such as drug coverage, you may want and/or need. You should start getting direct mail ads on these various plans soon if you haven’t already. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/7 "2023-01-11T17:03:48Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Thanks! My birthday is a month from now, I’ll stop procrastinating tomorrow. It was pretty painless, took just 15 minutes or so. @dolphinboy - Yes, thanks for mentioning that. I intend to sign up for a Medicare supplement as I near my 65th birthday (March). mmm ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/8 "2023-01-11T17:12:05Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > You should start getting direct mail ads on these various plans soon if you haven’t already I’ve been receiving these almost daily now. I’ll have to start opening them. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/9 "2023-01-11T17:17:33Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I intend to sign up for a Medicare supplement as I near my 65th birthday (March). Do it now, don’t wait. My wife also turns 65 in March. There are over 200 plans out there, it can take some time to find one that fits your needs. Some plans take 2 to 4 weeks to take effect after signing up. The only thing my wife does not have setup yet is the auto pay for Medicare, she needs her Medicare card, she won’t get that till the end of January. Someone said Medicare starts on your birthday, it starts on the first day of your birth month. We learned a whole lot about how this works when I signed up 16 months ago. The only sad part for us is my wife’s $20 a month health insurance ends February 28th. Between the 2 of us, our health coverage will be almost $400 a month. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/10 "2023-01-11T17:23:19Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > You still have to sign up for it. It doesn’t automatically happen as far as I know. You sign up for it in advance. Isn’t it the case that if you don’t sign up for Part A by some deadline (I think it’s the end of your 65th year) then there is some kind of penalty? Or did my fevered imagination make that up? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/11 "2023-01-11T17:25:44Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > The only sad part for us is my wife’s $20 a month health insurance ends February 28th. Between the 2 of us, our health coverage will be almost $400 a month. My wife’s “IRMAA” (deduction from social security payment) is over $400 per month. Our gap coverage is another $190/month. I’m not complaining, but it’s a lot. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/12 "2023-01-11T18:00:22Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Someone said Medicare starts on your birthday, it starts on the first day of your birth month. My bad. I stand corrected. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/13 "2023-01-11T18:03:07Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > > I intend to sign up for a Medicare supplement as I near my 65th birthday (March). > > Do it now, don’t wait… I don’t think I _can_ do it now (?) From the Medicare website: > [@](#): > > The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. You generally will get better prices and more choices among policies. **This period automatically starts the first month you have Medicare Part B AND you’re 65 or older.** ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/14 "2023-01-11T18:08:40Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Isn’t it the case that if you don’t sign up for Part A by some deadline (I think it’s the end of your 65th year) then there is some kind of penalty? That’s part B. Part A you simply sign up for – there are no premiums. Part B you have to pay monthly premiums and if you try to game the system by not starting it until you need expensive drugs you have to pay more per month forever than if you’d started it on time. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/15 "2023-01-11T18:22:24Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > [@racer72](#): > > > > > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > > > > I intend to sign up for a Medicare supplement as I near my 65th birthday (March). > > > > Do it now, don’t wait… > > I don’t think I _can_ do it now (?) > > From the Medicare website: > > > [@](#): > > > > The best time to buy a Medigap policy is during your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. You generally will get better prices and more choices among policies. **This period automatically starts the first month you have Medicare Part B AND you’re 65 or older.** OK, after a bit of digging I see that I can enroll now and state the start date of the Medigap plan. mmm ---
**Author:** ![YellowDog51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@YellowDog51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowDog51)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/16 "2023-01-11T19:45:35Z")
To clarify a few points (hopefully): Someone above stated that Medicare Supplement plans, Medigap plans, and Medicare Advantage plans are the same thing. They are not. The first two are plans that pay some or all (verify the coverage) of costs Medicare does not cover. Medicare Advantage (which is Medicare Part C, though it’s rarely called that anymore) is an alternative to “standard” Medicare (Parts A and B). Parts A and B are essentially “old fashion” health insurance that reimburses doctors (Part A) and hospitals (Part B) based on a “usual and customary” fee. Medicare Advantage plans are designed and operated by insurance companies (after approval of their plan by Medicare) and generally offer additional benefits. They are only available in certain areas (where the insurance company offers them) hence the TV ads for “additional benefits you may be eligible for”. You don’t need the TV guys’ help. Medicare will help you for free. I’m in one operated by United Health Care, which is a large and reputable company. I’m pleased with my coverage. It is correct that Medicare is generally effective the first of the month in which you turn 65. One exception: If you are still actively employed when you turn 65 you are not eligible until you retire. There is no penalty for “late” enrollment based on continued employment; there is a penalty for volitional late enrollment (I don’t remember the exact formula, but it increases the longer you wait). Yes, it can be confusing. I hope this is helpful. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/17 "2023-01-11T19:59:19Z")
For even more help I refer all to what I consider the most helpful thread in the history of the SDMB: [Link](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/americas-elder-crisis-medicare-edition/937146) The main takeaway from that thread: Get a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) unless you absolutely cannot afford the monthly premiums (or if you live in Florida or California). If you cannot swing a supplement plan, go with Medicare Advantage (but really, find a way to afford Medigap). But for the love of Pete, don’t sit tight with just Part A and Part B. mmm ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/18 "2023-01-11T21:07:39Z")
> [@YellowDog51](#): > > One exception: If you are still actively employed when you turn 65 you are not eligible until you retire. Correction: If you are covered by a qualified health plan (most employer plans are), you can delay your part B enrollment until you lose that coverage. Medicare eligibility has nothing to do with employment. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/19 "2023-01-11T21:23:38Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > But for the love of Pete, don’t sit tight with just Part A and Part B. I have a health insurance company as a client; last year, I did a bunch of interviews with people on Medicare, as part of a research project. One of my respondents was a woman whose husband had passed away the year before, due to pancreatic cancer. As she said it, “Medicare covering 80% of your bills sounds great, until you get a five- or six-figure medical bill.” ---
**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2023, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038/20 "2023-01-11T21:29:18Z")
> [@YellowDog51](#): > > There is no penalty for “late” enrollment based on continued employment; No penalty if your employment has health insurance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/medicare-sign-up-question/978038.md?page=2)