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Medicare Enrollment in Texas is handled by the social security office. When you get original Medicare, your traditional benefits will be made up of Medicare Part A hospital coverage as well as Medicare Part B outpatient coverage. Don’t let signing up for social security confuse you - it is a separate process from enrolling in Medicare.

For some people who are already collecting social security, you will find that you will automatically receive your Medicare card in the mail a few months before you turn 65. For these folks, Medicare kicks right in at age 65 and nothing else is required unless you don’t want the benefits. While Part A has no premium for anyone who has worked 10 years in the U.S., Part B does cost a monthly premium, and if someone still has group health insurance at work, he or she may decide to decline Part B until later on when they retire.

If you aren’t already receiving social security before you turn 65, you need to let Medicare know you desire to enroll. It’s not difficult - just take these simple steps below and you’ll find yourself ready to go.

1) Verify your eligibility for Medicare by contacting social security in the months preceding your 65th birthday, especially if you aren’t yet receiving social security. The age at which one qualifies for full social security benefits is age 66, and sometimes this confuses people who have delayed taking social security because they are still working. Remember that your eligibility for Medicare is at age 65, and is based on your work history.

2) Decide whether you will want Medicare for your primary insurance, or if you will have it coordinate with group insurance that you may have access to through your job. If you have group insurance with rich benefits at little cost to you, you may decide to opt out of Part B for awhile since it does have a cost to you. On the other hand, if your group insurance has a high deductible, you might want to pay for Part B, since it will coordinate with your group insurance to reduce your out of pocket costs.

3) Go online to the social security website, or call them or go to a local field office to apply for your benefits. If you are still working but plan to leave your group insurance, you will need to get your employer to sign a form that states when your group coverage will end. This tells social security when to begin your Medicare Benefits. Expect a delay of approximately 3 weeks before your Medicare card then arrives in the mail.

After these steps have been completed, you’ll be set up with either Medicare for your primary coverage or a secondary coverage aftter your group health plan pays. Remember that Medicare Part D is optional, but if your group health coverage is not as good as Medicare Part D’s standard benefit, then you could be racking up a late enrollment penalty. Texas carriers offer several inexpensive Medicare Part D plans that you can enroll in to help offset the cost of your prescription drugs.

Last but not least, if you accept Medicare as your primary insurance and have no access to other coverage, be sure to contact an independent insurance agent who can explain the important of getting a medicare supplement for the things Medicare doesn’t cover. You’ll also need assistance with how to enroll in a Part D drug plan. Both of these things have limited windows of opportunity for you to enroll without any health underwriting, so be sure that you act before that window closes.

Tackling Medicare on your own is always difficult. For assistance with your Texas Medicare Enrollment, contact Danielle Kunkle’s agency for free help in getting properly set up.