As age 65 approaches, most people are starting to consider how to transition from their current insurance into the “unknown land of Medicare”.
There is not always a clear path from employer/individual coverage to Medicare coverage and there are a lot of moving parts.
One of the first things I recommend (assuming that you aren’t already receiving any benefits) is for people to register for an ssa.gov account (a Social Security Administration online account).
Reasons to register for an SSA.gov account:
You can easily see your social security earnings and estimates from your work history
You can make administrative changes re: address updates/name changes
You can enroll for Social Security benefits
You can enroll in Medicare Part A and/or B, with or without receiving social security benefits at time of enrollment
SSA.gov has gotten much better with emails and electronic communications
This is a primary way you will communicate with Social Security and you exchange more detailed, private information throughout this process - having an online account makes it easier
How to Register for an SSA.gov account:
Click HEREto register for a social security account at ssa.gov(the link above takes you to the landing page after you hit Create an Account in the picture below)
You will need your license and your cell phone (sometimes you have to do a two step verification depending on which log in option you choose)
Once you have your account and can log in, keep your username and password and keep an eye out for letters in the mail and emails. You will want to keep most things sent to you by social security.
Click here for a pdf with instructions on how to register for a social security account online
