To sign up for Medicare in Idaho, you can visit your local Social Security office, apply online at Medicare’s website, or call Medicare.
Signing up for Medicare
Signing up for Medicare is as simple as filling out an application. You need to do this directly through official platforms of the Social Security Administration. They have a Medicare website at Medicare.gov and the Social Security Administration website at SSA.gov. You can also call their official phone number or visit your local Social Security office. Use these official platforms to fill out your registration for Medicare benefits during your enrollment period.
Medicare has several enrollment periods dedicated to signing up for different plans and allowing people to enroll after specific circumstances. Your first opportunity to enroll is during your initial enrollment period. This is a seven month window surrounding and including the month of your 65th birthday. You can first sign up in the three months before your birthday month, and your coverage will begin the month of your birthday or the month before if your birthday is on the first. You can sign up during your birthday month or in the three months following, but your Medicare coverage will be delayed.
If you do not sign up for a Part B or Part D plan during your initial enrollment and later sign up, you may be subject to a late enrollment fee. The Part B late enrollment fee adds 10% of the standard monthly premium for every 12 months you went without signing up after you became eligible.
You may qualify for a special enrollment period that would allow you to sign up for Medicare Part B after your initial enrollment period without facing a late enrollment fee. You might qualify for a special enrollment period if you change where you live, lose your current coverage, have a chance to enroll in other coverage, or your plan changes its contract with Medicare or is delinquent.
Medicare Advantage
As an alternative to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), you can sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan. These plans offer the same Part A and Part B coverage but work with a network of healthcare providers in your area and have an out of pocket maximum to protect you. You can sign up for a plan as long as you are enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B and live within the plan’s service area.
These plans are contract based and need to be renewed every year. Each fall during Open Enrollment from October 15 to December 7, you have the opportunity to renew your contract, switch to a different plan, or drop your plan and return to Original Medicare.
Enrolling in Part D Prescription Drug Plans
You can enroll in a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan at the same time you can enroll in Medicare Advantage: during Open Enrollment. This enrollment period is in the fall from October 15 to December 7 each year. Sign up for a plan that covers your current prescription drugs.
Enrolling in Medicare Supplements
The time to sign up for Medicare Supplements is during the six months after you are 65 and enrolled in Medicare Part B. Insurance companies, unless your state requires them, do not have to sell Medicare Supplements to people who are under 65 and receiving Medicare due to a disability.
Signing Up for Medicare in Idaho
For assistance with signing up for Medicare in Idaho, contact Teton Medicare. We have all of the answers you need to make an informed decision about your next plan.
