How long after you go on Social Security Disability do you have to sign up for medicare?

You will get Medicare coverage automatically after you have received disability benefits for 24 months. Part A is at no cost for most people, Part B has a premium (this year $93.50 per month). You do not have to accept Part B. If you do not you can only enroll during the open enrollment period of January 1 to March 31 and there will be a 10% penalty for each year you were eligible for but did not elect to receive Part B. The exception to this is if your private health insurance is a group plan through you or a spouse. There will be no penalty if you sign up within 8 months after the group policy is over.

Generally, Medicare will be the primary policy and your private policy will be secondary unless you are on a group policy with more than 20 other employees.

You will want to contact your agent to find out the specifics about your particular health plan and how it coordinates benefits with Medicare.

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There is No signing up .

It auto starts 24 months after your approval date .

You can always keep the private insurance anyway ,

even after the medicare starts . They may even give you a better rate because it will be supplemental instead of primary .

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they told me if I understood right that mine starts Jan. 2015. but I have not heard anything. what do I do to find out. I have only been on disability for a year.

You aren't eligible until you've been on SSDI for 27 months. So it's too early yet for you.