The answer
Is Medicare automatic at 65?
Medicare is not automatic for everyone at 65; it depends on whether you already receive Social Security.
If you are drawing Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits before 65, you are usually enrolled automatically in Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical), and your card arrives a few months before your birthday. If you have not started those benefits, enrollment is not automatic, and you must apply yourself through Social Security during your Initial Enrollment Period, the seven-month window around your 65th birthday. People who qualify through disability are often enrolled automatically after 24 months of benefits. Even when Part A and B are automatic, drug coverage and other plan choices are not. To review your options, reach out to a licensed Goodsurance advisor at 1-888-301-8091 (TTY 711), Mon to Fri 8 am to 5 pm PT.