Medicare: Initial Enrollment
When you first become eligible for Medicare, you can sign up for Original Medicare with or without Part D or a Medicare Advantage plan during a seven-month Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). Need more info? Check out our videos on different Medicare topics here.
Created by DeafHealth with the support of the Patient Advocate Foundation and Pfizer, these videos on Medicare in American Sign Language (ASL) will give you the skills to make informed decisions about your coverage, the benefits offered by Medicare, and how to use your insurance confidently. The videos cover different topics including Medicare Parts A, B, C, D, and Medigap Plans.
- American Sign Language Medicare Guide: https://deafhealthaccess.org/updates/health-insurance/
- English Medicare Guide: https://www.patientadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/MedicareBenefitsGuide_English-1.pdf
- Medicare Resources Sheet: https://www.patientadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/Medicare-Resources-Section.pdf
Stay Informed in ASL: We’ve got you covered! Sign up with your email at deafhealthaccess.org/sign-up or follow us on social media for new and current health updates.
Transcript and Video Description
[Video Description: The post has a video thumbnail with blue shading overlaid. The top middle has "Medicare: Initial Enrollment” in white text with light blue background, accompanied by a yellow bubble with “Medicare” in blue. In the video: A nonbinary person with long, curly brown hair shaved on the right side of their head stands in front of the camera. Behind them is a light wooden entry table with a potted monstera plant set against a green wall. They are wearing black pants and a black sweater with two gold chain necklaces.
Transcript: Medicare enrollment periods include an Initial Enrollment Period, Annual Open Enrollment, General Enrollment Period, and Special Enrollment Periods. It’s important to understand each period’s specific dates and conditions to ensure timely enrollment and avoid potential late enrollment penalties. Initial Enrollment is when you first become eligible for Medicare. You can sign up for Part A and/or Part B during a seven month Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). The IEP begins 3 months before you turn 65, and ends 3 months after you turn 65. During this time, you can choose to enroll in Original Medicare (Parts A and B), and with or without Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you are under age 65 and newly eligible for Medicare due to a disability, you also have a seven-month IEP to choose your Medicare coverage. This initial enrollment begins 3 months before the 25th month of receiving Social Security Disability or Railroad Benefits, and ends 3 months after your 25th month of receiving benefits. If you sign up for Medicare in the first 3 months of your eligibility, your coverage will start on the first day of the month you turn 65. If you sign up during the month you turn 65, your coverage begins on the first day of the following month. If you enroll in Medicare during the last three months of your Initial Enrollment Period, your Medicare coverage will start the first day of the month following the month you enroll. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a blue lighthouse] Paf. Patient Advocate Foundation. www.patientadvocate.org.]