How to Apply For Medicare Without Going to the Social Security Office
If you’re ready to sign up for Medicare Part B, you’re probably blocking off an entire day to go to the Social Security office.
And you’re not wrong – wait times at the Social Security office are pretty bad. In fact, in February of 2018, the Social Security Administration (SSA) even put out their own report on why their wait times are so bad and how they might improve them.
They blame the long wait times on:
- High volumes of visitors (43.5 million per year, in fact!)
- Complex workloads
- Staffing issues
- Shortened public operating hours
The report says that since 2010, the number of office visitors who waited longer than an hour increased by 109 percent.
If you’re sighing and grumbling already, we’re right there with you. But we have great news! You don’t actually need to go to the Social Security office to sign up for Medicare Part B. That’s right – you can do it online, and we’re going to help you. (Don't worry, it's super easy.)
Use the Social Security Administration Website to Sign Up For Medicare
You can sign up for Medicare right from www.ssa.gov. In fact, you can do a lot of handy things from the SSA website, including:
- Applying for retirement
- Applying for disability
- Checking your Medicare benefits
- Appealing a medical decision
- Checking the status of an application or appeal
- Requesting a replacement Social Security card
- Requesting a replacement Medicare card
- Printing a benefit verification letter
- Reviewing your latest statement
- Reviewing your earning history
- Changing your address
- Printing proof of benefits
- Applying for help with Medicare prescription drug plan costs
- Estimating your retirement benefits
Imagine how much time you can save by using the Social Security website instead of going into the office for everything you may need!
How to Sign Up For Medicare Part B Online
1. Visit https://www.ssa.gov/
2. Click on “Medicare Enrollment.”
3. Click the blue button that says "Apply for Medicare Only."
4. Start the new application.
It takes about 10 minutes from here.
The application will ask you for:
- Name
- SSN
- Date of birth
- Gender
- Questions about health benefits (other health insurance, employment information, etc.)
And that’s it! No more long wait times at your local Social Security office.
If you need extra help signing up for Medicare Part B, determining whether you need to sign up right now, or if you need supplemental coverage, contact us today for a free Medicare planning consultation!
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