When it comes to applying for Medicare, people in the United States have a limited amount of time to apply. While it is true that we can apply for Medicare at any age after our 65th birthday, applying outside of the stipulated time frame will cause us to lose money. In other words, there is a predetermined time limit to get Medicare without having to pay extra.
If we do not apply for Medicare on time, we will be obliged to pay a surcharge. Even so, having this medical help option is always good news, so it should not be a problem to pay this small payment compared to the advantages we will get later. If we do not want to pay any kind of fine or penalty for being late, we should apply for Medicare on time.
Therefore, we must always keep in mind the Initial Enrollment Period. This will be the starting point where we will not have to pay anything extra to get fully into the Medicare discounts. For some citizens it is not necessary to apply for Medicare, as it may be an automatic process. But this is not for everyone, so pay attention to your Medicare if you do not want to miss out on this great advantage in the area of healthcare-related costs.
When is the Medicare Initial Enrollment Period?
This period begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends 3 months after that month. Therefore, we have a total of 7 months to apply for Medicare. This is not a short period of time, so if we want to apply for Medicare we will be able to do so without any problem.
If we apply for Medicare within this period of time we will not pay more money than necessary for the monthly fee. If we apply for this medical help after the established date, we will have to pay a payment that will depend on how late we apply for it.
How much do I have to pay for applying late for Medicaid?
It all depends on how late you apply for Medicaid. It also depends a lot on the type of Medicare you are applying for. So if you are already late to enter the Initial Enrollment Period, the recommendation is to apply for Medicare as soon as possible to avoid paying much more money.
The final fee will also depend on whether we are going to apply for all parts of Medicare or just the most basic parts. So, as each case is totally individual, we should look for help and contact the offices directly. This way we will get the necessary information.
When can I start enjoying Medicare?
As we have said before, the age to apply for Medicare is 65 years old, but that does not mean that right on the day of your birthday you can start enjoying this medical help. We have to take into account all the elements surrounding our application.
Therefore, if we apply for Medicare before our 65th birthday, we will be able to start using its services within a month of reaching that age. This encourages United States citizens to apply for Medicaid as soon as possible, as it makes the process much easier and saves us many dollars.
In the case of not applying for Medicare within the Initial Enrollment Period we will have to wait a little longer. To be more precise, we will need to wait until the following month to start enjoying the services. This can be a big inconvenience for millions of Americans, so we must take this into account if we do not want our financial plans to end up being a disaster.