Automatic enrollment
You're enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically if you:
- Already get Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits when you turn 65, or
- Are under 65 and have received Social Security disability benefits for 24 months, or have ALS.
Your Medicare card arrives in the mail about three months before coverage starts. If you have job-based coverage through current work and want to delay Part B, follow the card's instructions to return it before Part B starts. See Do I need Part B if I'm still working?
If you need to apply
Most people who aren't yet collecting Social Security when they turn 65 must sign up themselves. You can apply during your Initial Enrollment Period, the seven months around your 65th birthday month, in three ways:
- Online at ssa.gov. You can apply for Medicare only, without starting retirement benefits.
- By phone at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).
- In person at a Social Security office in Arizona. Social Security has offices across the state; use the office locator on ssa.gov and consider calling ahead for an appointment.
Sign up early in the window if you can: signing up in the three months before your birthday month means coverage starts on the first of your birthday month. See When does Medicare start?
Signing up for Part B when job coverage ends
If you delayed Part B because you or your spouse had coverage from current work, you have a Special Enrollment Period of eight months after the job or the coverage ends, whichever comes first. You'll need two forms:
- CMS-40B, Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B. In the remarks, you can write the month you want Part B to start.
- CMS-L564, Request for Employment Information, completed by your employer to show your group health plan coverage. If the employer can't complete it, Social Security accepts other proof, such as pay stubs showing health insurance deductions or W-2s.
Social Security lets you submit both online with your proof of coverage, or fax or mail them to your local office. Start a month before your job coverage ends if you want Part B to start without a gap. Retiree coverage and COBRA don't count as coverage from current work. More on Working past 65.
After you have Part A and Part B
- Drug coverage: join a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with drug coverage during your Initial Enrollment Period to avoid a Part D late penalty, unless you have other creditable drug coverage.
- Medigap: your six-month Medigap open enrollment period starts when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. See Medigap in Arizona.
- Help with costs: if your income is limited, apply for AHCCCS's Medicare Savings Programs through Health-e-Arizona Plus at 1-855-HEA-PLUS (1-855-432-7587). Arizona has no resource test for them.
The whole timeline, from three months before 65 to your first year on Medicare, is in Turning 65 in Arizona.
Get help
A licensed insurance agent with Benefits Life can help you choose a Medicare Advantage, Medigap or Part D plan from the companies they work with once you've signed up, at no cost to you, at (602) SENIORS (602-736-4677), TTY 711.
Related questions
When does Medicare start?
Coverage start dates by sign-up month.
Do I need Part B if I'm still working?
Delaying Part B without a penalty.
Medicare phone numbers in Arizona
Social Security, Medicare and Arizona programs.
Sources
- Social Security — Sign up for Medicare
- Social Security — Sign up for Part B only
- Social Security — How to Apply for Medicare Part B During Your Special Enrollment Period
- CMS — Form CMS-40B, Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B
- Medicare.gov — When can I sign up for Medicare?
- Social Security — Office locator
- Health-e-Arizona Plus
Frequently asked questions
Do I sign up for Medicare with the State of Arizona?
No. Medicare is federal, and Social Security handles enrollment in Part A and Part B. Arizona's AHCCCS program handles Medicaid and the Medicare Savings Programs, which can pay your Medicare premiums if your income is limited.
How early can I sign up?
Three months before the month you turn 65. Signing up in those first three months means coverage starts the first day of your birthday month (the month before, if your birthday is on the 1st).
I'm leaving my job after 65. How do I sign up for Part B?
Fill out form CMS-40B (the Part B application) and have your employer complete form CMS-L564 to show you had job-based coverage. You can submit them online at ssa.gov, or by fax or mail to Social Security, during the eight months after the job or coverage ends.
How do I join a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan?
After you have Part A and Part B (Part A or B for Part D), you join with the plan directly, through Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE, or with help from a licensed insurance agent. Your Initial Enrollment Period is your first chance.
Medicare in your Arizona county
Plans, local agents and help, county by county: Apache · Cochise · Coconino · Gila · Graham · Greenlee · La Paz · Maricopa · Mohave · Navajo · Pima · Pinal · Santa Cruz · Yavapai · Yuma
