Getting Medicare

Enrollment in Medicare Part A and B is automatic when a person:

• Turns 65 and is already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board (RRB) benefits. A Medicare card will be mailed about 3 months before his or her 65th birthday. 

• Is under 65 and disabled, he or she will automatically get Part A and B after getting disability benefits from Social Security or certain disability benefits from the RRB for 24 months. A Medicare card will be mailed about 3 months before the 25th month of disability. 

• Has ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). People with ALS automatically get Part A and Part B the month the disability benefits start. 

Note: Part B is optional. Someone who doesn’t want Part B must follow the instructions that come with the Medicare card, and send the card back. A person who keeps the card keeps Part B and will pay Part B premiums.

A person must sign up for Medicare Part A and/or Part B if he or she: 

• Isn’t getting Social Security or RRB benefits (for instance, because he or she is still working) and wants Part A or Part B. The person should contact Social Security 3 months before he or she turns 65. People who worked for a railroad should contact the RRB to sign up.

• Has End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) (permanent kidney failure that requires dialysis or a kidney transplant). The person should visit the local Social Security office, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to sign up for Part A and Part B. TTY users should call 1-800-325-0778. For more information, visit Medicare.gov/publications to view the booklet, “Medicare Coverage of Kidney Dialysis & Kidney Transplant Services.” 

• Isn’t eligible for premium-free Part A (see page 17) but wants to buy Part A. The person must also sign up for Part B, and should contact Social Security 3 months before he or she turns 65. 

If someone doesn’t automatically get Part B, or isn’t eligible for premiumfree Part A (see page 17), he or she can sign up for Part B and/or buy Part A during one of these times: 

• Initial Enrollment Period—A person can sign up when first eligible for Part B. (For example, if the person is eligible for Part B when he or she turns 65, the Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month period that begins 3 months before the month he or she turns 65, includes the month he or she turns 65, and ends 3 months after the month he or she turns 65.)

 • General Enrollment Period—If a person didn’t sign up for Part A and/or Part B when first eligible, he or she can sign up between January 1–March 31 each year. The coverage will begin on July 1, but he or she may have to pay a late enrollment penalty (a higher premium).