Your enrollment for Medicare starts at the Social Security Administration. They handle most of the paperwork for Medicare enrollment. If you are not receiving Social Security benefits, you should enroll in Medicare Part A three months (3) before your 65th birthday.

When you first become eligible for hospital insurance (Part A), you have a seven-month period (your initial enrollment period) in which to sign up for medical insurance (Part B). A delay on your part will cause a delay in coverage and result in higher premiums.

If you are eligible at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month you turn age 65 and ends three months after that birthday. If you are eligible for Medicare based on disability or permanent kidney failure, your initial enrollment period depends on the date your disability or treatment began.

LAI Tip: Call Social Security (1-800-772-1213) or visit their website at www.socialsecurity.gov for more information. For many, Social Security eligibility is later than Medicare eligibility. So even if you are still working, call about Medicare when you are eligible.