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Medicare Made Clear

Medicare Eligibility

You’re eligible for Original Medicare (Parts A and B) if:

You’re at least 65 years old, or you’re under 65 and qualify on the basis of a disability or other special situation.

And

You’re a U.S. citizen or a legal resident who has lived in the U.S. for at least 5 consecutive years.

When can you enroll in Medicare Advantage or prescription drug plan?

Initial Enrollment Period

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is 7 months long. It includes your 65th birthday month plus the 3 months before and the 3 months after. It begins and ends 1 month earlier if your birthday is on the first of the month. You may enroll in Part A, Part B or both. You may also choose to join a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) or a prescription drug plan (Plan D). Prescription drug coverage must creditable or you may be subject to a late-enrollment penalty when you enroll in a plan with Part D benefits.

    • Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 – December 7

      During annual enrollment you can add, drop or switch your Medicare coverage.

    • Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period, January 1 – March 31

      If you are already a Medicare Advantage plan member, you may disenroll from your current plan and switch to a different Medicare Advantage plan one time only during this period.

    • Special Enrollment Period

      Depending on certain circumstances, you may be able to enroll in a Medicare plan outside of the initial enrollment or annual enrollment time frames. Some ways you may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period are if you:

      • Retire and lose your employer coverage.
      • Move out of the plan’s service area.
      • Receive assistance from the state.
      • Have been diagnosed with certain qualifying disabilities or chronic health conditions.
      • Qualify for Extra Help.

Special Needs Plans have other eligibility requirements.

Source: medicare.gov, 2020.

Medicare choices

After you enroll in Original Medicare (Parts A and B), there are two ways to get additional coverage.

Step 1 - Enroll in Original Medicare

Step 2 - Decide if you need additional coverage.

You have two ways to get it.

Source: uhcclarity.com, 2020.

We can help you with the process

* By replying with the above form, you are granting permission for a licensed sales agent to contact you by phone, mail, or email to answer your questions or provide additional information about Medicare Advantage Plans, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans, and Medicare Supplement Insurance.

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