Medicare has four parts: Part A,B,C and D. Part A is Hospital Insurance, and this is free for insured people and helps pay for inpatient care and certain follow-up services. If you are eligible, you should sign up for Part A a few months before you turn age 65, even if you have other health insurance.
Parts B,C, and D require premium payments, and the premium payments are different depending on when you sign up for them. Part B helps pay for doctor services, outpatient hospital care and other medical services. Part C are Medicare Advantage plans and these are available in many different areas of the United States. Part D is prescription coverage.
Medicare is now offering the ability to sign up for these 4 parts on-line if :
- You are within 4 months of turning 65
- You do not currently have Medicare coverage
- You are not ready to start receiving your Social Security benefits and
- You currently reside in the United States or one of it’s territories
The nice thing about applying online is that you do not need to wait for an appointment. You can fill out your application when you are ready from your own home. As you are filling out your application, you may save it at any time during the application process and finish it when you are ready, so you do not have to worry about possible interruptions. The web site is very secure, so your information is protected. Once you complete the application, you will receive a receipt and an application number so that you can log in anytime to check your application status.
For more information on Social Security and Medicare, go to www.socialsecurity.gov .