Medicare After Health Sharing Ministry

[MichaelS37672]

I am currently 62. When I retired two years ago, I joined a health sharing ministry and dropped my employer coverage. I plan on enrolling in Medicare when first eligible in three years. Since I will not have been covered by insurance during that five year period, are there any restrictions or "gotcha"s related to signing up for Medicare and Medigap, and receiving full coverage under those plans?

[EliteInsPartners]

You'll be fine. I would call Medicare a few months before your 65th birthday if you aren't already on Social Security to ensure you get coverage as soon as you're eligible. When you have Social Security income, you'll automatically be enrolled in Medicare. Some Medigap plans let you pre-enroll in a policy 6-3 months before the Part B effective date. The Medigap plan would go into effect the same day as your Part B. Since you're in the Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you'll be guaranteed acceptance into a Medicare Supplement policy. You'll also want to sign up for Part D to cover your medications.