Even if you are not ready to start collecting retirement benefits, you can still apply for Medicare online and knowing when to apply for Medicare is very important.

Jack Myers with Social Security stresses you must apply during an enrollment period. While there are a variety of reasons to apply for Medicare, the most common application reason is age-based reasons.

Most people will want to do this during the initial enrollment period. Myers explains the initial enrollment period for age 65-based Medicare is 3 months before, the month of, and 3 months after attainment of age 65.

According to Myers, the general enrollment period is January-March of each year, but there are late enrollment penalties for Part B so this is not a great option. The special enrollment period is possible after your IEP if you were covered by an employer group health plan based on your own or a spouse’s active employment continuously from age 65 until the point you are trying to enroll in Part B.

You will also need to consider if you want to enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan and/or Medicare supplement or Medicare advantage plan. Myers points out both of those are sold by private insurance companies but are overseen by Medicare. You apply for those directly through the providers that offer the plans.

You can get additional information about these options directly from Medicare at www.medicare.gov or by calling 1-800-Medicare.