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How To Sign Up For Medicare The First Time Living In WNY?
By Andrew L Hibbard @WNYMrMedicare
Originally Posted: 13 FEB 2023
Updated & Revised:
This question gets asked a lot.
And, while the Federal Government keeps changing their rules and regulations about when, what and how they want you signing up and starting Medicare, they are also limiting the reliable resources available to make such a challenging chore...easier.
I previously answered a similar question about the different ways to sign up for Medicare, a few months ago, which you can go back and read at this link HERE.
If you want to save yourself the time, the following information below should explain things in an easy-to-understand way and get you hitting the ground running in the right direction.
Here is a very simple and straight-forward overview of the step-by-step application process to sign up for Medicare if you live in Western New York.
STEP 1.
Check Eligibility. In most cases, you are eligible for Medicare when you are 65 years of age, but younger persons can qualify due to disability, or diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
Step 2.
Properly prepare required documents. There is no cookie-cutter list here because different situations required difference documents.
- Are you submitting paperwork proactively before turning 65?
- Did you miss your turning 65 deadline, but need retroactive coverage?
- Did you work past 65 somewhere with less than 20 employees --- or, more than 20 employees?
It all depends.
** Questions with this, give me a call at 716 . 833 . 0252 and based on our conversation, I can tell you definitively what you need.
Step 3.
Submit your Medicare application. A few options available for you to do this. They all aren’t easy (just ask around).
- Call 1-800 number. Pour cup of coffee, and prepare to wait on hold for hours, just to talk to phone robots...or worse, get disconnected and start again.
- Online. Difficult to do if you do not have the right security settings on your computer. (My free Medicare SmartStart Program includes setting up your private “myMedicare SmartID” on our secure server).
- Paper. Fill out and file your Medicare forms and then mail or fax. Riskiest method with no confirmation if done completely or correctly. Large room for error, high risk of making mistakes, or missing pages when faxing papers.
** If you don’t have the time or desire to deal with Medicare directly, look into how my free Medicare SmartStart Program can take away all the stress of trying to tackle anything on your own. Learn more HERE.
STEP 4.
Keep up with ongoing requirements. Once you submit your application, you are not done. There will be additional things to be done, so be sure to remain vigilant to avoid monthly surcharges, or lifetime penalties.
- If you applied by phone, you should call and check status of application no later than 14 business days from day submitted.
- If you applied online, you can check status of application online with the correct credentials and security settings.
- If you applied with paper forms, you also have to call 1-800 number.
** My office does have authorized access directly to the Federal Medicare verification program and can check and coordinate your coverage FOR YOU if our agency is identified on your Medicare application. Call me at 716 . 833 .0252 to see how we can help.
STEP 5.
Appeal a decision. Sometimes, based on your situation, your Medicare benefits aren’t approved, or they are delayed, or you are charged a higher monthly price than others. While this is inconvenient, and likely annoyingly frustrating, there is an appeal process, which, as you can imagine, is also annoyingly frustrating. Welcome to dealing with the big, bureaucratic government.
STEP 6.
Report changes. Have a change in address? Did you lose, or need to replace a missing, Medicare ID card? It can all be done by calling the 1-800 number.
Ok, there’s a lot to deal with, right? I get it.
And as an active adult in WNY, who’s always on the run, you need a smart solution to cut through all the clutter.
If you want some light shed on your situation, your hand held the whole way, and making your move to Medicare simpler, easier, seemingly stress-free and almost effortless, I can do just that. Here's how...
NEARING ARE 65 AND AREN'T SURE WHERE TO START?
**If you are TURNING 65 IN 6-12 MONTHS, my #1 Amazon best-selling guidebook, "Starting Medicare Smartly" will give you a great overview of everything you need to know, before you need to know it. Instead of buying on Amazon for $12.99, click HERE now and let me send you a completely free copy, all at my expense.
**If you are TURNING 65 IN 4-6 MONTHS, you should be getting ready to enroll and your paperwork prepared to either sign up at 65, or suspend --- you can't do nothing. If you don't have the time or desire to deal with doing any of the dirty work with Medicare yourself, OR, you feel frustrated, confused and kind of clueless about figuring out the fine print with Medicare, you can rely on my free Medicare SmartStart Program and let me take away all your stress of trying to tackle anything on your own. It's how I help people just like you. Weekly availability is limited to the first 10 folks, and maximum 40 per month. Don't delay. Click HERE now to learn more about my nationally recognized program, and how you can put it to work for you --- for free.
**If you are TURNING 65 IN 1-4 MONTHS, you are cutting it close to your Medicare late penalty period. If you have NOT yet filled out and filed your Medicare forms, you are behind and against the clock. It is URGENT we get together as soon as possible so I can do all I can, before it's too late, to help you avoid paying a costly late penalty for life. Click HERE now to immediately schedule an emergency Medicare SmartStart Strategy Session with me...if there are any still available.
HAVE MORE MEDICARE QUESTIONS?
Read the most common questions folks in WNY ask when they aren’t sure how to get started with Medicare. Click HERE to see the complete Medicare SmartStart Answers article archive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew L Hibbard is a prominent name when mentioning Medicare in WNY, but one you may have never heard of. Working behind-the-scenes, he is a best-selling author, expert advisor and successful agency owner. Focused on educating first, Andrew prides himself on being considered “the only advocate in WNY fighting for better and more reliable Medicare resources, free from insurance company conflict of interests.”
To take away the stress of trying to tackle Medicare alone and feeling forced to figure it all out by yourself --- Andrew created the WNY Medicare SmartStart Program; a free, step-by-step plan, that holds you by the hand to sign up and start Medicare smartly. (More than 850+ people have gone through the program and call it “the lazy way to get Medicare done for you without costing you a dime”).
**SPECIAL FREE GIFT** If you want to see how hundreds of WNY'ers each year are doing things different with Medicare, and getting it all done in record time, you can request a special "Medicare SmartStarter Info Kit” at no-cost to you, Andrew will give it to you as his free gift. It will prove, without a doubt, why his Medicare SmartStart Program is widely considered the most popular and preferred way to sign up and get started with Medicare in WNY, Guaranteed! Simply click HERE today, and everything will be rushed to you right away. It's that easy!
This question gets asked a lot.
And, while the Federal Government keeps changing their rules and regulations about when, what and how they want you signing up and starting Medicare, they are also limiting the reliable resources available to make such a challenging chore...easier.
I previously answered a similar question about the different ways to sign up for Medicare, a few months ago, which you can go back and read at this link HERE.
If you want to save yourself the time, the following information below should explain things in an easy-to-understand way and get you hitting the ground running in the right direction.
Here is a very simple and straight-forward overview of the step-by-step application process to sign up for Medicare if you live in Western New York.
STEP 1.
Check Eligibility. In most cases, you are eligible for Medicare when you are 65 years of age, but younger persons can qualify due to disability, or diagnosis of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).
Step 2.
Properly prepare required documents. There is no cookie-cutter list here because different situations required difference documents.
- Are you submitting paperwork proactively before turning 65?
- Did you miss your turning 65 deadline, but need retroactive coverage?
- Did you work past 65 somewhere with less than 20 employees --- or, more than 20 employees?
It all depends.
** Questions with this, give me a call at 716 . 833 . 0252 and based on our conversation, I can tell you definitively what you need.
Step 3.
Submit your Medicare application. A few options available for you to do this. They all aren’t easy (just ask around).
- Call 1-800 number. Pour cup of coffee, and prepare to wait on hold for hours, just to talk to phone robots...or worse, get disconnected and start again.
- Online. Difficult to do if you do not have the right security settings on your computer. (My free Medicare SmartStart Program includes setting up your private “myMedicare SmartID” on our secure server).
- Paper. Fill out and file your Medicare forms and then mail or fax. Riskiest method with no confirmation if done completely or correctly. Large room for error, high risk of making mistakes, or missing pages when faxing papers.
** If you don’t have the time or desire to deal with Medicare directly, look into how my free Medicare SmartStart Program can take away all the stress of trying to tackle anything on your own. Learn more HERE.
STEP 4.
Keep up with ongoing requirements. Once you submit your application, you are not done. There will be additional things to be done, so be sure to remain vigilant to avoid monthly surcharges, or lifetime penalties.
- If you applied by phone, you should call and check status of application no later than 14 business days from day submitted.
- If you applied online, you can check status of application online with the correct credentials and security settings.
- If you applied with paper forms, you also have to call 1-800 number.
** My office does have authorized access directly to the Federal Medicare verification program and can check and coordinate your coverage FOR YOU if our agency is identified on your Medicare application. Call me at 716 . 833 .0252 to see how we can help.
STEP 5.
Appeal a decision. Sometimes, based on your situation, your Medicare benefits aren’t approved, or they are delayed, or you are charged a higher monthly price than others. While this is inconvenient, and likely annoyingly frustrating, there is an appeal process, which, as you can imagine, is also annoyingly frustrating. Welcome to dealing with the big, bureaucratic government.
STEP 6.
Report changes. Have a change in address? Did you lose, or need to replace a missing, Medicare ID card? It can all be done by calling the 1-800 number.
Ok, there’s a lot to deal with, right? I get it.
And as an active adult in WNY, who’s always on the run, you need a smart solution to cut through all the clutter.
If you want some light shed on your situation, your hand held the whole way, and making your move to Medicare simpler, easier, seemingly stress-free and almost effortless, I can do just that. Here's how...
NEARING ARE 65 AND AREN'T SURE WHERE TO START?
**If you are TURNING 65 IN 6-12 MONTHS, my #1 Amazon best-selling guidebook, "Starting Medicare Smartly" will give you a great overview of everything you need to know, before you need to know it. Instead of buying on Amazon for $12.99, click HERE now and let me send you a completely free copy, all at my expense.
**If you are TURNING 65 IN 4-6 MONTHS, you should be getting ready to enroll and your paperwork prepared to either sign up at 65, or suspend --- you can't do nothing. If you don't have the time or desire to deal with doing any of the dirty work with Medicare yourself, OR, you feel frustrated, confused and kind of clueless about figuring out the fine print with Medicare, you can rely on my free Medicare SmartStart Program and let me take away all your stress of trying to tackle anything on your own. It's how I help people just like you. Weekly availability is limited to the first 10 folks, and maximum 40 per month. Don't delay. Click HERE now to learn more about my nationally recognized program, and how you can put it to work for you --- for free.
**If you are TURNING 65 IN 1-4 MONTHS, you are cutting it close to your Medicare late penalty period. If you have NOT yet filled out and filed your Medicare forms, you are behind and against the clock. It is URGENT we get together as soon as possible so I can do all I can, before it's too late, to help you avoid paying a costly late penalty for life. Click HERE now to immediately schedule an emergency Medicare SmartStart Strategy Session with me...if there are any still available.
HAVE MORE MEDICARE QUESTIONS?
Read the most common questions folks in WNY ask when they aren’t sure how to get started with Medicare. Click HERE to see the complete Medicare SmartStart Answers article archive.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andrew L Hibbard is a prominent name when mentioning Medicare in WNY, but one you may have never heard of. Working behind-the-scenes, he is a best-selling author, expert advisor and successful agency owner. Focused on educating first, Andrew prides himself on being considered “the only advocate in WNY fighting for better and more reliable Medicare resources, free from insurance company conflict of interests.”
To take away the stress of trying to tackle Medicare alone and feeling forced to figure it all out by yourself --- Andrew created the WNY Medicare SmartStart Program; a free, step-by-step plan, that holds you by the hand to sign up and start Medicare smartly. (More than 850+ people have gone through the program and call it “the lazy way to get Medicare done for you without costing you a dime”).
**SPECIAL FREE GIFT** If you want to see how hundreds of WNY'ers each year are doing things different with Medicare, and getting it all done in record time, you can request a special "Medicare SmartStarter Info Kit” at no-cost to you, Andrew will give it to you as his free gift. It will prove, without a doubt, why his Medicare SmartStart Program is widely considered the most popular and preferred way to sign up and get started with Medicare in WNY, Guaranteed! Simply click HERE today, and everything will be rushed to you right away. It's that easy!
You Can Feel Confident Knowing What To Do With Medicare.
I Can Take Away The Stress Of Trying To Tackle It On Your Own.
Figuring out all the fine print with Medicare doesn't need to feel stressful. You don't have to spend your scarce free time at home, alone, in isolation, relying on your own assumptions and hit-or-miss guesses, attempting to do-it-yourself.
Confidently knowing exactly what to do (and when) with Medicare is the key to avoiding future fines and fees and only my Medicare SmartStart Program will show you how.
If you don't have the time or the desire to deal with Medicare directly, and want a BETTER, SMARTER, time-saving solution to short-cut hours of your own trial and error so you know --- without question --- you aren't messing anything up making a mistake...
Let me put my proven Medicare SmartStart Program to work for you.
Click the link below to take the next step and schedule a complimentary Medicare SmartStart Strategy Session with me --- it's that easy!
You Can Feel Confident Knowing What To Do With Medicare.
I Can Take Away The Stress Of Trying To Tackle It On Your Own.
Figuring out all the fine print with Medicare doesn't need to feel stressful. You don't have to spend your scarce free time at home, alone, in isolation, relying on your own assumptions and hit-or-miss guesses, attempting to do-it-yourself.
Confidently knowing exactly what to do (and when) with Medicare is the key to avoiding future fines and fees and only my Medicare SmartStart Program will show you how.
If you don't have the time or the desire to deal with Medicare directly, and want a BETTER, SMARTER, time-saving solution to short-cut hours of your own trial and error so you know --- without question --- you aren't messing anything up making a mistake...
Let me put my proven Medicare SmartStart Program to work for you.
Click the link below to take the next step and schedule a complimentary Medicare SmartStart Strategy Session with me --- it's that easy!
Get Started For FREE!
Who Is Andrew Hibbard?
Since 2015, Andrew has helped over 850+ Western New Yorkers through his nationally recognized Medicare SmartStart Program, taking away all the stress from folks trying to tackle Medicare on their own. His impressive record of success has been gotten Andrew featured in Forever Young Magazine and the BEE Group Newspapers, exclusive interviews on WECK Radio's Senior Matter's Program, and author an #1 Amazon best-selling guidebook on the subject, "Starting Medicare Smartly," revealing how the rules specifically and significantly differ for NY residents versus other states.
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