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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 those people on social security already, your Medicare card will usually just show up in your mailbox several weeks before you turn 65. Since you are collecting social security benefits, Medicare enrolls you automatically because it is assumes that you may not be working any longer. You won’t pay for your Part A benefits if you have a work record of at least 10 years in the United States, but you will pay a monthly premium for your Part B outpatient benefits. It’s up to you to decide if you want those benefits, or would rather decline them for a while if you have access to employer group insurance.

For everyone else, there is action required on your part. Following these simple steps should help you keep everything on track.

1) Contact Social Security to verify your eligibility for Medicare a few months before your 65th birthday if you are not currently receiving social security benefits. Since you don’t reach full benefit age for social security payments until you are 66, many people wait to enroll in Social Security if they are still working. However, this does not affect your eligibility for Medicare at age 65.

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) Apply for your Medicare benefits at a local social security office or even enroll online or by phone. The SS representative will give you the proper forms, including one your employer will need to complete if you are leaving your group health coverage in lieu of Medicare as your primary insurance. The form notifies social security that when you will need your Medicare benefits to kick in. Allow about three to four weeks after you contact social security before you expect to see your Medicare card in the mail.

Following these simple steps will help you align your Medicare as either secondary insurance to group health insurance coverage, or as your primary source of insurance. You need to also consider whether you will enroll in Part D. While Part D is optional, Medicare will assess a penalty agiainst you for late enrollment if your group health plan doesn’t have coverage that’s as least as good as Medicare Part D. Some people with group health plans enroll in Part D anyway, so that they have numerous options for copays on their necessary prescription drug coverage.

Finally, get in touch with an insurance agency specializing in Texas Medicare supplements if you don’t have any coordinating group coverage. There are lots of things Medicare does not pay for, and your agent can help you find solutions for bridging these gaps, as well as explain your Part D options. Since both medicare supplements and Part D drug plans have enrollment windows when you turn 65, you’ll want to very sure that you don’t miss your opportunity for a guaranteed issue plan during the short window that they are available to you.

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