MEDICARE Q & amp;A Deadlines for enrolling

KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
Q. I've heard that people on Medicare need to sign up for the drug benefit before May 15 to avoid paying a penalty for late enrollment. My 65th birthday is in July, after the May 15 deadline. Do I have to sign up by May 15? If not, what's my deadline? -- Linda
A. You've raised an important question for people turning 65 this year. The May 15 deadline does not apply to people who celebrate their 65th birthdays after the enrollment period ends.
The Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit follows the same enrollment time frame as Medicare Part B. This means that you have a 7-month enrollment period, which begins three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after your birthday month.
With a 65th birthday in July, your enrollment period for Medicare Parts B and D begins in April and ends in October. If you do not sign up for the Medicare drug benefit during that period, you will face a late enrollment penalty if you sign up for a Medicare drug plan in a future year.
Keep in mind that the process of signing up for Medicare Parts B and D are quite different. If you are receiving Social Security payments and turn 65, you are automatically enrolled in Part B and will keep this coverage for the rest of your life unless you actually "opt out."
By contrast, you are not automatically enrolled in Medicare Part D. To get prescription drug coverage under Medicare, you must "opt in" by signing up for a Medicare drug plan when you are first eligible, and then each year thereafter.
XThis column was prepared by the Kaiser Family Foundation, an independent, nonprofit, private foundation based in Menlo Park, Calif.