For people who are Medicare eligible, you would typically be advised to enroll in Medicare Part A and B, purchase your Medicare supplement and an Rx plan suitable for your needs. While this sounds easy, it can be very confusing, overwhelming and complex for the majority of people that I work with, so I’m going to try to make this a painless process.

This link, takes you to medicare.gov. You have three months prior to your birth month, your birth month and three months after your birth month (a 7-month window) to enroll in Medicare Part B. My recommendation is always to enroll at your first opportunity, three months prior to your birth month. This can be done online and in the convenience of your office or home.

When you receive your white card with the red and blue stripes at the top, known as your Medicare ID Card, your effective dates for Part A and for Part B should be your birth month. At that point, it is appropriate to call me and get your quotes for your Medicare supplement. If this is the route you choose to go, then I would have you complete an application and I would enroll you for a Medicare supplement coinciding with the effective date of your Medicare, well in advance so your transition is seamless. I would then provide you with a document referred to as Scope of Appointment Form. It is federally mandated that you sign and date this and return it to me concerning your Part D prescription drug insurance. When I receive your form, we then set an appointment exclusively for conversations and/or transactions pertaining to Part D. We cannot do your Medicare supplement and your part D in the same appointment per federal mandate.

After I receive your Scope of Appointment, I would use what is referred to as an Rx calculator which would illustrate for us the plan options and the bottom line out of pocket costs. We would then select the plan that is best suited to your drug list and enroll you for the same effective date as your Medicare and Medicare Supplement. Then you would transition either from the workplace or individual coverage into your Medicare very timely and without any lapse of coverage.

If you are not “aging into Medicare”, there are enrollment periods set up by the federal government that we must adhere to unless you have a special enrollment, this could mean moving from a different state, a retirement date, returning from the military. Please call me when you turn 64 ½ and we can set up a timeline of events so that everything falls into place without stress.

With this being the week before Christmas, I want to be sure to thank all of my Clients for their referrals, my business associates, my office manager, my website professional for everything you’ve done for me all year and wish you all the very merriest of Christmases and Happy New Year!