Turning 65 - Complete Medicare Checklist And More

If you’re turning 65, then you’re probably stressing out a bit. Don’t worry, with our official checklist, you’ll make sure to get everything you need in order before your big birthday.
By
Edward Neeman
Published on
January 3, 2019
Updated on
January 22, 2024

Turning 65 is nothing short of a monumental milestone in your life, and because of that, there are probably a million things running through your mind at this very moment. As we enter our senior years, it becomes increasingly important to get our lives in order. For example, it’s when we need to take a serious look at our legal documents, Social Security benefits, retirement, and most importantly, our health.

Aging comes with its own set of health struggles, and that’s true for just about everyone. Let’s face it, that spring in our step when we were younger is long gone, and parts of our bodies that we didn’t know we even had begun to hurt. Luckily, medicine and technology have come a long way, so don’t start feeling sorry for yourself yet. Unfortunately, medical bills are higher than they’ve ever been, which is why it’s time for you to familiarize yourself with Medicare.

The Official Turning 65 List

If you're getting closer to 65, you're going to want to know what to do. This is where the Official Turning 65 List comes into play. This is going to give you an idea of what steps you'll need to take in the near future. Keep in mind, this will be just a quick view of the Official Turning 65 List and each item will be more in-depth below.

  • Sign Up For Medicare
  • Determine Your Healthcare Needs
  • Choose Supplemental Coverage
  • Wait On Social Security If Possible
  • Start Your Retirement Plan

Sign Up For Medicare

Turning 65 and Medicare kind of go hand in hand. With that being the case, this is the first thing you want to do. As soon as you turn 65, you want to make sure you sign up so you don't go for too long without the health insurance you will inevitably need.

When signing up, there will be a few things you'll need to submit, and you want to make sure you have them ready so there aren't any delays. Usually, you'll have to submit things like your government ID, birth certificate and social security card. Depending on where you live, there might be some other things you'll need to submit, so make sure you check the guidelines.

Determine Your Healthcare Needs

Next, you’ll want to take a long hard look at your health needs, both current and future. Getting enrolled in a Medicare plan right when you turn 65 years old is one hundred times easier than waiting even a year. For that reason, you shouldn’t just take into account what you’ll need today, but speak with your doctor to learn if you’re at a higher risk for any number of disease.

For example, if you have a family history of diabetes or heart disease, then you’ll definitely want to take that into account when picking your plans. While it’s recommended everyone gets themselves enrolled in both Medicare Part A and B (Original Medicare), depending on your situation you may want to opt for additional coverage. That can come in any number of forms, like Advantage plans, prescription drug plans, or even Medigap plans.

Choose Supplemental Coverage

While turning 65 and Medicare go together, Medicare will only cover a certain portion of most health situations. This means that you'll have to pay out-of-pocket for the amount of the services or bill that Medicare doesn't cover. This is a real problem if there's a big portion of the bill left because you might not be able to pay it and that could lead to things like debt or not being able to get the care you need.

Having supplemental insurance can help because, most times, it will pay a big part or all of the remaining bill. Even if they don't pay the entire thing, you'll have less to pay out of pocket than you would if you didn't have supplemental insurance.

Wait On Social Security If Possible

If it's possible, you want to try and wait for social security. While you can start your benefits at 65, it's much better to wait until you're around 70. There are a few reasons for this.

The first is that you'll have more benefits. If you start using them at 65, you won't have as many benefits as you would at 70. The other reason is that waiting until 70 will result in more benefits in the event that something happens to you or you pass away. Once one of these things happen, the survival benefits will go to your surviving relatives and will help them pay things like your funeral expenses.

Start Your Retirement Planning

Once you turn 65, you'll be close to retirement. Since that's the case, you want to start planning your retirement as soon as possible once you hit 65. It's much better to be prepared and know what you're planning on doing instead of waiting and possibly becoming stressed or rushed. Not only do you want to include what kinds of things you want to do, but you also want to include any donations you want to send out. You don't have to have a strict retirement plan, but make sure the important things are figured out.

Get Started With FirstQuote Medicare

Turning 65 can seem like a stressful or even scary time in your life, but thankfully there’s a help. FirstQuote Medicare helps people just like you find what they need. With our free quoting service, and experienced agents standing by, finding the perfect plans for your needs has never been easier. To get started, enter your zip code, and see what’s available in your area.

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