Your Client Not Ready To Retire? They Can Still Apply For Medicare Online

If you want to start receiving Medicare at age 65, you must apply for Medicare no earlier than three months before your 65th birthday and no later than three months after that birthday. We refer to this window of opportunity to apply for Medicare as your initial enrollment period.

Some Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for Extra Help to pay for the monthly premiums, annual deductibles, and co-payments related to the Medicare Prescription Drug program. You must be receiving Medicare, have limited resources and income and reside in one of the 50 states or the District of Columbia to qualify for the Extra Help. For more information on Extra Help, visit www.ssa.gov/benefits/medicare/prescriptionhelp.

You may also want to read these publications:

Apply Online for Medicare — Even if You Are Not Ready to Retire at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10530.pdf.

When to Start Receiving Retirement Benefits at www.ssa.gov/pubs/EN-05-10147.pdf.

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Retirement

Q: I'm trying to decide when to retire. Can Social Security help?

A: The best place to start is with a visit to the online Social Security Statement. The Statement provides you with estimates of benefits for you and your family as well as your earnings record and information you should consider about retirement and retirement planning. It is easy to access your statement online by creating a my Social Security account. To create an account, please visit www.ssa.gov/myaccount. The "right" time to retire is different for everyone and depends on your individual situation. To help you make your own decision, we offer an online fact sheet, When To Start Receiving Retirement Benefits, that highlights some of the factors to consider. Find this publication at www.ssa.gov/pubs/10147.html.

Q: I'm planning to retire next year. I served in the Navy and need to make sure I get credit for my military service. What do I need to do?

A: You don't need to do anything to apply for the special credit for your military service—it is added automatically. For service between 1957 and 1967, we will add the extra credits to your record at the time you apply for Social Security benefits. For service between 1968 and 2001, those extra military service credits have already been added to your record. So you can rest assured that we have you covered. Read our online publication, Military Service and Social Security, at www.ssa.gov/pubs/10017.html. Then when the time comes to apply for retirement, you can do it conveniently and easily at www.ssa.gov/retireonline.