I am 67 years old and still work in my own business in Media, PA
19063.  I had not planned on filing for Social Security benefits until
I turned 70 years old.  My questions :  (1) Am I eligible for Medicare
Health Insurance since I'm not collecting SS benefits -- or do I have
to wait until I begin to collect these benefits? (2) In the event I am
now eligible for Medicare Health Insurance, please tell me exactly how
to go about filing for it:  names, addresses, tel. nos., etc., i.e.,
precise information.

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Request for Question Clarification by pafalafa-ga on 12 Oct 2005 10:59 PDT

Hello Frank.

Please let me know if this information answers your question about eligibility:


----------
 Will I get Medicare at age 65 if I'm not yet eligible for Social Security? 
 
  Question 
  The retirement age for Social Security is increasing until it
reaches age 67. Will I still get Medicare at age 65 if I?m not yet
eligible for Social Security retirement benefits?
 
 
  Answer 
  Although the retirement age is rising, 65 remains as the starting
date for Medicare eligibility. You will be eligible to apply for
Medicare if you have paid into Social Security for at least 10 years
or you are eligible to receive Social Security benefits on your
spouse?s earnings. If you do not meet these requirements, you can
still get Medicare hospital insurance (Part A) by paying a monthly
premium if you are a citizen or a lawfully admitted alien who has
lived in the U.S. for at least five years.

Also, anyone who is age 65 and a citizen or a lawfully admitted alien
with five years of residency in the United States can sign up for
Medicare Part B medical insurance and pay a monthly premium.
----------


If that information is on target, then I can find additional
information about how to apply.

But if you need more information on eligibility, let me know.


pafalafa-ga

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Clarification of Question by frank2-ga on 12 Oct 2005 11:58 PDT

It would seem that I am eligible for Medicare Health Insurance, even
though I'm not currently collecting SS benefits -- since I have paid
into SS for far more than 10 years.  OK, now I need that precise info.
I asked for:  How exactly do I file (or visit some office, or
whatever) to sign up for my Medicare Health Insurance?  Details,
please.

Frank,

The Medicare enrollment tool at this site:


http://www.medicare.gov/MedicareEligibility/Home.asp?browser=IE%7C6%7CWinXP&version=default&language=English


should give you all the information you need for signing on. 


The site is confidential.  Just answer the questions as they appear,
and at the end of the process, you should have all the information you
need to enroll in the system.

If you run into any problems at all -- or have any additional
questions -- just let me know and I'll be more than happy to assist
you further.

All the best,

pafalafa-ga



search strategy -- visited the bookmarked Medicare.gov site, and
searched for eligibility and enrollment information.