Baby Boomers Can Now Apply for Medicare Online at
Social Security Website
Cast of Patty Duke Show helping agency responsible
for Social Security & Medicare enrollment
March
29, 2010 – The millions of baby boomers flooding across the age marker
that signals they are a senior citizens – the age of 65 – will be
pleased with news from Social Security that you can now register for
Medicare benefits online, if you are not ready to also sign up for
Social Security. Patty Duke and the cast of her 1960s sitcom, The Patty
Duke Show, are helping spread the word.
Michael J. Astrue, Commissioner of Social Security,
said this new online application, which takes less than 10 minutes to
complete, is for people reaching the Medicare eligibility age of 65 who
want to delay filing for Social Security retirement benefits. Currently
about a half million Americans enroll in Medicare each year without
applying for monthly benefits. Social Security is responsible for
enrolling Americans in both programs.
Access
to Agency Strategic Plan, Freedom of Information Act Report, as well as
program laws and regulations for Social Security; will publish its Open Government Plan in
April
The old twister joins Social Security in announcing
new “twist” in law making it easier to qualify for Extra Help with
Medicare prescription drug plan costs
“Social Security’s online services are the best in
all of government and exceed the top private sector companies in
customer satisfaction,” Commissioner Astrue said.
“The new Medicare application is a welcome addition
to our suite of online services and will make it easier than ever to
sign up for Medicare. I am thrilled that Patty Duke has once again
volunteered to help us get the word out.
“The fact that this time her TV family has joined
her makes this even more special and I thank William Schallert, Eddie
Applegate, and Paul O’Keefe for their service to America. I also want
to thank Dr. David Kessler, former FDA Commissioner, who appeared with
Patty as a befuddled family physician in some of our spots.”
Here is how it’s done
To apply online for Medicare do the following.
● go to
www.socialsecurity.gov and
● choose Retirement/Medicare under the header, “Select Below To Apply
For.”
You will be asked a brief series of questions.
If you have a question or need additional
information, there are “more info” links.
When you’re done, just select the “Sign Now” button
to submit the application.
There are no paper forms to sign, and usually no
additional documents are required. If more information is needed,
Social Security will contact you by phone or letter.
For a variety of reasons, more and more Americans
are choosing to delay receiving Social Security retirement benefits past
the Medicare eligibility age of 65.
Certainly a major reason is that although the age
to collect full retirement benefits used to be age 65, it is now age 66
for individuals just becoming eligible for retirement benefits and will
eventually become age 67.
Another reason is that benefits can be increased by
up to 32 percent if someone delays receiving them until age 70.
“We are continuing to look for ways to improve our
existing online services and to add new services that make it easy for
people to do business with Social Security,” said Astrue.
“Later this year, we will make our online
Retirement Estimator at
www.socialsecurity.gov/estimator available in Spanish, a first for
the federal government. Providing the public with the best online
services in the government and private sectors is one of our top
priorities.”
