Question: If a person doesn't sign up at age 65 are they able to sign up later on?
I know 1 person that was still working and wanted to stay on her job provided health insurance but was told, by Medicare, that she would not be able to sign up at a later date.
Is that the way it works?

It's best to sign up for Medicare Part A at 65.
There is no cost, and it makes things simpler in the future when you want to use it and get supplemental coverage.
If you have insurance through your employer, you continue to use that until you retire.
There is a form you submit that states you have employer provided insurance.

There are two things beyond Part A to watch for when a person’s Medicare eligibility begins. If you’re still working you can delay Part B based on a company’s medical insurance, and if your company also provides “creditable” drug coverage you can delay starting Part D (drug coverage) without incurring a lifelong penalty later. The potential penalties for not signing up when you should have can last forever, so make sure to check all the boxes and get it right!

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Originally posted by WaterburyBob:

There is a form you submit that states you have employer provided insurance.

It's form CMSL564. I just did this yesterday.

Link to download it: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/c...nloads/cms-l564e.pdf

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Originally posted by vinnybass:

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:

There is a form you submit that states you have employer provided insurance.

It's form CMSL564. I just did this yesterday.

Link to download it: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/c...nloads/cms-l564e.pdf

Yes. My employer HR department provided me with the completed form to submit.

I have A & B, have a supplement Rx plan that is not being offered next year.

Is there a deadline to add Medicare D? Benefits of D?

Most employers are going to force the employee onto Medicare at 65 as it removes the financial cost of healthcare from them. Some will reimburse the Medicare premium but they generally make them move over to it.
She should also reach out to the State run program to make sure she does everything right. Usually called SHIP or SHINE. Free, non biased advice.
There are certain things that if not done right, you can't fix. Buying a supplement is one. If you don't buy it within 6 months you can't get it later and I think that is true even if you have company coverage the whole time.

With a Medicare supplement your costs decline quite a bit,

Medicare is a lot more difficult to understand than it should be.

The 20% that it doesn't cover forces you to buy supplement insurance, as well as additional prescription drug coverage. Clearly this is by design, a gift to the insurance lobby.

Medicare should cover medical and prescription drug expenses, 100%. No drama.


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Your original question was: If a person doesn't sign up at age 65 are they able to sign up later on? Former employee of SSA for 43 years prior to retirement. The NUMBER ONE problem or mistake that I saw while working all those years was this issue. People would not enroll in Medicare at 65 (or at their first opportunity) based upon incomplete or bad information. Often the problem was they did not understand what their employer expected of them. Powers77's post is spot on. I am not suggesting that everyone should enroll in Medicare at 65. I am suggesting that their is no room for error because a wrong decision can be costly. I have seen people go with no health insurance for nearly a full year until the next general enrollment period opens up. When they do enroll, they pay a premium penalty for late enrollment for life. Remember that part A is completely free. You can enroll in part A at 65 without enrolling in part B. You can then enroll in part B later on during your special enrollment period. Check with your employer about any requirements they may have regarding Medicare. Don't just assume that since you have health insurance through your employer you can just forget about medicare until you retire. Below is a link that explains more about a special enrollment period for those that don't file at age 65.

https://www.healthcare.gov/glo...l-enrollment-period/

I agree everyone should apply for Medicare Part A at age 65.

I am 73 and still on younger wife's insurance so I only have Medicare Part A.

In 2021 I was in the hospital for a week due to gall bladder removal and pancreatitis. I NEVER got a bill from the hospital. After several months I inquired about that and found out Medicare Part A paid for what my Wife's insurance did not.

In 2020 I had to take an ambulance to the hospital ER and never got a bill for the ambulance service and found out again Medicare Part A paid for what our insurance did not.

Beware however if you have a hospital stay and get mail from providers saying you owe them the full amount of their service, that you make sure they were billing your primary non Medicare insurance first. I had some doctor bills from my hospital stay that billed Medicare and Medicare rejected the claim but when they refiled with our primary insurance the bills were paid.

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Medicare is a lot more difficult to understand than it should be.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
same as social security. The mistakes you make follow you through life. Also most docs take Medicare. I am still impressed with the hospital billing department and how they bill EVERTHING.