Ready to enroll in Medicare? Here's a final checklist of what you'll need

Congratulations! You’ve done your research and are ready to sign up for your Medicare benefits. 

First, the good news: if you’re already receiving your Social Security benefits, you’re automatically enrolled in Traditional Medicare (Part A and B) the first day of the month you turn 65. But for people who choose to delay getting Social Security payments until after age 65, you’ll need a few pieces of information handy to begin your enrollment in Medicare.  

So, what documents do you need to begin your application on Medicare.gov? To sign up you may be asked for proof of your age, your work history and your citizenship or permanent resident status. 

You can ensure you have the required information by collecting some personal records ahead of time. In the end, you may not need to provide every document on the Medicare checklist below, but it’s always better to be prepared.  
And if you’re interested in enrolling in coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan, there are a few other pieces of easily obtained information you’ll need once you’ve signed up for Traditional Medicare.  

What you’ll need 

Once you’ve done your research, enrolling in Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage is fairly easy. But if you want to save some time and trouble, you can make the process even easier by ensuring you have all your information and documentation organized before you sit down to sign up. Having everything mentioned on this checklist will help make the process a breeze.   

About the author

Mark Pabst has worked as a writer and researcher in the health care field for almost two decades. When not writing about health he tries to stay healthy through activities like hiking, climbing and paddling in the far flung corners of his native state of California. However, despite his best efforts he still has a few unhealthy habits he can’t shake, most notably a weakness for jelly donuts.

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