{"id":12556,"date":"2022-10-09T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2022-10-09T13:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/legaltalktexas.hammerle.com\/?p=12556"},"modified":"2025-06-18T17:42:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-18T22:42:16","slug":"turning-65-my-medicare-journal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hammerle.com\/legaltalk\/estate-planning\/turning-65-my-medicare-journal\/","title":{"rendered":"Turning 65: My Medicare Journal"},"content":{"rendered":"

I just turned 65.<\/span><\/p>\n

No, I am not retiring. Yes, I have now signed up for <\/span>Medicare<\/span><\/a>. It was quite the education, and I am happy to share what I learned.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You have a 6-month window to sign up. It begins 3 months before your 65<\/span>th<\/span> birthday and ends 3 months after. You do not want to miss this window.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Medicare Coverage Options<\/span><\/h2>\n

Before the window opened, I researched the two main options for <\/span>Medicare-related coverage<\/span><\/a>. The first, a Medicare Advantage plan, is comprehensive health insurance that is provided by a Medicare-approved private company such as Cigna or Aetna. You still have Medicare, but most of your coverage is from the private company and not original Medicare.<\/span><\/p>\n

The second option is original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement plan. There are several different kinds of plans, with the most comprehensive being Plan G. Your primary coverage is through Part A and Part B of original Medicare, and a private company provides the supplemental health insurance to cover medical expenses that exceed your primary coverage.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Under either arrangement, you want to address prescription drug coverage. If you go with a Supplement, then you should consider adding Part D, Medicare prescription drug coverage. If you choose an Advantage plan, then it may already cover drugs.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But before you sign up for additional insurance, you must first sign up for Medicare.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Sign Up for Medicare<\/span><\/h2>\n

The simplest way to sign up is through your \u201cMy Social Security\u201d online account. Don\u2019t have one? Go to<\/span> www.ssa.gov\/myaccount<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I already had an account, so three months before my birthday I logged in and clicked on the box for benefit applications. I followed the steps to complete and submit the application. Forty-eight hours later, my application was approved, and I received my Medicare number.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I had already decided to go the Medicare Supplement route and get a Part D prescription plan, but the pricing between insurance providers varied widely. Rather than spending my time insurance shopping, I contacted a Medicare insurance agent. Using my brand-new Medicare number, he obtained the quotes, gave me his recommendation, and helped prepare and submit the applications. It was seamless.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I chose to have everything go into effect on the first day of the month in which I turned 65. I had my Medicare card and, thanks to my broker, my insurance cards in hand 30 days before that effective date. I gave a 30-day notice of termination to my existing health care insurance company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then this happened. The day after my Medicare coverage went into effect, we were packing for a long-anticipated vacation when I suddenly had a sharp abdominal pain. My husband took me to the ER, where I was promptly admitted to the hospital and had emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I am fine now, thanks for asking.<\/span><\/p>\n

How did Medicare perform? Pretty darn well.<\/span><\/p>\n

The claim process barely involved me. The claims are first submitted to\u00a0 Medicare, then to my Plan G insurance company. I can track them through my Medicare.gov account.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Medicare pays for the bulk of my hospital and doctor charges. My Plan G pays full coverage for any gaps, except for a small deductible.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Every doctor and healthcare provider who accepts Medicare must also accept my Plan G supplement. \u00a0 There are no network limitations.<\/span><\/p>\n

I now have first-hand experience with Medicare. My recommendation is to sign up on day one for Parts A and B, use a Medicare broker to sign up for Plan G supplement and Part D prescription insurance, and don\u2019t look back.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hammerle Morris Can Help You Understand Your Options<\/span><\/h2>\n

Are you looking for assistance in choosing the right medicare option? <\/span>Schedule a consultation<\/span><\/a> with one of the experienced <\/span>attorneys<\/span><\/a> at Hammerle Morris to discuss your options.<\/span><\/p>\n

Virginia Hammerle<\/span><\/i><\/a> graduated from SMU law school 4 decades ago. She is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law and an accredited estate planner. For more columns, see her blog at <\/span><\/i>hammerle.com<\/span><\/i><\/a>, or sign up for her newsletter at <\/span><\/i>legaltalktexas@hammerle.com<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I just turned 65. No, I am not retiring. Yes, I have now signed up for Medicare. It was quite the education, and I am happy to share what I learned.\u00a0\u00a0 You have a 6-month window to sign up. It begins 3 months before your 65th birthday and ends 3 months after. You do not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":12557,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1224],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-12556","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-estate-planning"},"yoast_head":"\nTurning 65: My Medicare Journal - Hammerle Morris Law Firm<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"There is a lot to think about when signing up for Medicare. 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