Reaching age 65 makes most Americans eligible to enroll in Medicare.  You're usually enrolled in Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) automatically; You will enroll in Medicare Part B (Outpatient Insurance)  by contacting Social Security.  Three months before, the month of, and three months following your 65th birthday comprise your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP), during which you may also enroll in a Medicare Advantage, Supplement, and Prescription Drug plan.  Late enrollment penalties assessed by Medicare for the duration of your subsequent enrollment are possible if you don't enroll when first eligible.

For 2024, Medicare Part B enrollees' standard monthly premium is $174.70.

When first eligible, you must enroll in Medicare Part B Outpatient Coverage and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Coverage in a timely manner or face a Late Enrollment Penalty.  You generally avoid a Late Enrollment Penalty if you participate in an employer group plan which provides coverage at least as comprehensive as that of Medicare Part B and Medicare Part D. 

For Medicare Part B, the penalty is 10 percent of the then-current monthly premium pay for each year you could have enrolled but did not.  For Medicare Part D, the penalty is 1 percent of the base monthly premium, which currently is $34.70 (note that some Part D plans offer lower or even Zero monthly premiums; as such, the base monthly premium is used to calculate the Late Enrollment Penalty which you pay regardless of the actual monthly premium of the selected Plan).

Two situations might require you to obtain Part B coverage when you reach age 65.  One would be if your employer has fewer than 20 employees.  Group medical insurance from such an employer would not be considered creditable coverage.  The second would be if you're currently covered under a spouse's employer group coverage and that employer requires covered dependents to enroll in Medicare upon turning 65.

Various states offer Medicare Savings Programs which, depending primarily on the amount of your household income, might help you reduce your Medicare monthly premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and copayments.  You can apply for Extra Help by visiting your local Social Security office, accessing Social Security online at https://secure.ssa.gov, or by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213.  TTY users may call 1-800-325-0778

Medicare Supplement Plans are available as coverage secondary to Original Medicare and can help you pay medical expenses not covered by Original Medicare, including charges resulting from deductibles, co-payments, co-insurance obligations, and more.

You can go to medicare.gov to establish or utilize an existing online account to order a new card to be mailed to you, or you can print an official copy yourself. 

You also can call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)  to request one to be mailed.  TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

Both receive funding support from the Federal government. Medicare is health insurance first established to help people reaching age 65 to have health coverage after they've stopped working, or for some people under 65 disabled from working or with certain chronic medical conditions.

Medicaid (in California, Medi-Cal) are State-run plans with shared Federal and State funding.  These programs provide health coverage for some people who may have limited income and other resources. Both Medicare and Medicaid meet the goal of bringing healthcare to more Americans and in turn create more health in American communities.

If you currently have creditable coverage through your or a spouse's employer group plan, you can skip it for now.  However, if you do not have group coverage, you may wish to carefully consider the value of enrolling when first able.  You'll avoid a Late Enrollment Penalty, and you'll have prescription drug coverage right when you might need it, as once you're out of your Initial Enrollment Period, you can only enroll at a future Open Enrollment Period, which starts October 15 and ends December 7, with coverage beginning January 1.

Both are known as "Managed Care Plans", meaning that doctors, specialists, hospitals, and various other healthcare providers contract with private insurers to provide coordinated care at set costs.  A Health Maintenance Organization is a closed network of providers who agree to work together to supply care at a reduced rate; generally you will select a primary care physician who will refer you to specialists when needed.  A Preferred Provider Organization also has a contract provider network of doctors, specialists, and facilities; however, should you wish to, you can see an outside provider whose charges may be more that the agreed-to rate you would pay for similar care in-network.

Both receive funding support from the Federal government. Medicare is health insurance first established to help people reaching age 65 to have health coverage after they've stopped working, or for some people under 65 disabled from working or with certain chronic medical conditions. Medicaid (in California, Medi-Cal) are State-run with shared Federal and State funding.  These programs provide health coverage for some people who may have limited income and other resources.