Nearly 1.5 million Americans are projected to enroll in Medicare this year. If you’re among them — or one of the millions of other new retirees expected to sign up by the end of this decade — you probably have questions.
The enrollment process is complex. While many think of Medicare as a single government program, Congress has incorporated private insurance options since the program was signed into law in 1965.
Get an early start on enrollment. The S.S.A. has long faced customer service challenges because of understaffing and budget constraints, and those problems have worsened since staff cuts and restructuring under the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative last year. You can apply for Medicare up to three months ahead of your intended coverage start date.
“People really need to start early because there seem to be longer wait times even for the phone appointments, let alone the in-person appointment,” said Samantha Morales, senior policy advocate at Justice in Aging, a group that focuses on senior poverty.
