How to Enroll in Medicare

Parts A and B come from the Social Security Administration — you enroll at SSA.gov, by phone, or at a local Social Security office, unless you're auto-enrolled because you already collect Social Security. Choosing your added coverage (a Medicare Advantage plan, or a Medicare Supplement plus a Part D drug plan) is a separate step, and that's where a local agent like us helps: we compare the plans we offer, check your doctors and drugs, and complete the enrollment with you at no cost.

If you're already receiving Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you're typically enrolled in Parts A and B automatically and your card arrives in the mail — no action needed for that piece. You still have to actively choose your added coverage, whether that's a Part D drug plan, a Medicare Supplement, or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you're not yet collecting Social Security, you must sign up for Parts A and B yourself during your enrollment window.

Signing up for Parts A and B through Social Security is often a same-day application, though processing and your effective date depend on where you are in your enrollment window. Choosing and enrolling in a plan can usually be done in a single sitting once we've checked your doctors and prescriptions. The key is starting early — about three months before your birthday month — so your coverage is active the day you become eligible rather than weeks later.

Yes. Licensed agents are paid by the insurance carriers, not by you, so our help comparing and enrolling in the plans we offer is free. We handle the plan-selection and application steps — checking that your Sanford or Avera providers are in-network and your medications are covered — while you make the final call. You're welcome to enroll entirely on your own too; many people simply prefer not to navigate it alone. There's no pressure either way.

For Parts A and B, Social Security will want basic identity and work-history details, and your Medicare number once issued. For choosing a plan, it helps to have your list of current prescriptions (names and doses), your preferred doctors and hospital, and your pharmacy. With those in hand, we can match you to the plans we offer that cover your medications at the best tier and keep your providers in-network — which is the part that saves the most money and frustration.

Yes. The fastest way to sign up for Parts A and B is at SSA.gov, where the application usually takes well under an hour, though you can also call Social Security or visit a local office. Enrolling in your added coverage — a Part D plan, a Medigap policy, or a Medicare Advantage plan — is a separate online step. Many people prefer to have us handle that part with them so the plan they pick actually covers their doctors and drugs.

Neither is automatically right — it depends on you. Original Medicare with a Medigap policy and a Part D plan gives broad nationwide provider freedom and predictable costs at a higher premium. A Medicare Advantage plan bundles everything with a network, often a lower or $0 premium, and an out-of-pocket cap. With 22 plans in Minnehaha County and 28 in Sioux County, Iowa (CMS PY2026; verify current plans on Medicare.gov), we compare both paths against your doctors, prescriptions, and budget before you decide.

Start about three to six months before your birthday. First, decide whether to sign up for Parts A and B now — usually yes, unless you have creditable coverage through a current employer. Then gather your prescription list and your preferred doctors and pharmacy. With those in hand, we compare the plans we offer in your county, check your network and drug coverage, and time your application so coverage begins the day you're eligible. It's free and there's no pressure.

Often yes, within certain windows. If a Medicare Advantage plan isn't working out, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31 lets you switch once or return to Original Medicare. The Annual Enrollment Period each fall lets anyone on Medicare change coverage for the next year, and qualifying life events can open a Special Enrollment Period. We review your plan during these windows and handle the switch if a better fit among the plans we offer is available.

You can absolutely enroll on your own — many people do. An agent simply makes the plan-comparison step easier and costs you nothing, since carriers pay licensed agents, not you. We check that your Sanford or Avera doctors are in-network and your medications are covered across the plans we offer, then file the application with you. You always make the final choice. If you'd rather go it alone, Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE are there too.