I Am New To Medicare

The “Initial Enrollment Period” or “IEP” is the period of time when you are new to Medicare. Typically, this is centered on your 65th birthday and begins on the first day of the month, three months before your birthday. For example, if your 65h birthday is May 15 then your Medicare IEP would begin on February 1. It’s a good idea to call us before you begin your Medicare journey just to check-in since there may be some situations in which it is a good idea to alter your plans a bit. For example, if you are turning 65 years old, but are still receiving a job-based health plan, you may or may not want to consider delaying your Medicare for a period of time.

There are two major steps to enrolling in Medicare during your IEP, the first is to sign up for Medicare Parts A & B. Part A is for hospital, Part B is for medical. This is done directly with the Social Security Administration office, and you can reach them by telephone at 1-800-772-1213 or by going to their website at https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up. You can also go to the nearest Social Security office if you prefer meeting with someone there in-person. Once you have signed up, they should give you an estimated time to expect your new Medicare ID card to arrive in the mail. It’s a good idea to get this taken care of as early as possible since this process can sometimes take a while if they are experiencing a high-volume of callers and appointments.

The second step begins once you have your Medicare ID card with your new Medicare ID number on it. Once you have that ID number from the government then you can call The Insurance Source to set up a time to meet with us to finish up the rest of your Medicare. We will help you pick out what best fits your needs, whether that is a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) & Prescription Drug Plan (Part D), or a Medicare Advantage Plan (Part C).

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 5 organizations which offer 49 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1–800–MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all your options.