Senior couple sitting in the bleachers

New to Medicare

If you're retiring or nearing your 65th birthday, it's time to learn about Medicare.

 

Find the answers you need

If you’re eligible for Medicare, or soon will be, congratulations. To tailor coverage that fits your needs and budget, it’s important to understand your benefits.

Medicare provides valuable protection against high medical costs, but it doesn’t cover everything. We can help you make informed and confident Medicare choices.

Learn how Medicare works

Follow these steps

Step 1: Get to know Original Medicare

Medicare is a government health insurance program for Americans who are 65 or older and younger people who have certain disabilities and receive Social Security benefits. Medicare was first created in two parts, Part A and Part B. Together, they’re called Original Medicare.

Part A: Hospital coverage

Original Medicare

Partial coverage for:

  • Inpatient hospital stay
  • Skilled nursing care
  • Hospice
  • Home care
Learn more about Part A

Part B: Medical coverage

Original Medicare

Partial coverage for:

  • Doctors visits
  • Surgery
  • Lab tests
  • Medical equipment
  • Preventive exams
Learn more about Part B

Step 2: Learn how to cover what
Original Medicare doesn't

You can add additional coverage, which is offered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, to help pay for costs that Medicare doesn’t cover.

Depending on where you live, you may have different Medicare plan options available.

View our Medicare plans

Part C: Medicare Advantage

Offered through private insurers, Medicare Part C combines your Medicare Part A, Part B, and usually Part D benefits under one Medicare Advantage plan.

Plans may offer benefits for:

  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Hearing
  • Acupuncture
  • Over-the-counter items and more
Learn more about Part C

Part D: Drug coverage

Medicare Part D helps pay prescription drug costs.

It can be added to Original Medicare or a Medicare Supplement or Medicare Cost plan that doesn’t have prescription drug benefits.

Part D prescription drug plans are offered through private insurance companies.

Learn more about Part D

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

Medicare Supplement, also known as Medigap, are medical-only plans offered through private insurers that help cover what Original Medicare doesn’t cover, including:

  • Copays
  • Coinsurance
  • Deductibles
Learn more about Medicare Supplement

Medicare Cost

Medicare Cost plans give you all the benefits of Original Medicare, plus additional benefits like dental, vision, hearing and more.

Some Cost plans also offer optional Part D prescription drug coverage.

Available in 21 Minnesota counties.

Learn more about Medicare Cost

Step 3: Enroll at the right time

Your Initial Enrollment Period into Original Medicare is a seven-month window — from three months before your 65th birthday month to three months after your 65th birthday month. Coverage can begin as soon as the first day of the month you turn 65.

Learn more about Medicare enrollment

 

Medicare enrollment timeframe graphic

Enrollment order

You must enroll in Original Medicare Part A and Part B before you enroll in a Medicare Advantage, Medicare Cost, Medicare Supplement (Medigap) or Part D prescription drug plan.

Social Security benefits

If you already receive Social Security benefits, you will automatically be enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.

Disabled and under 65

If you are disabled and under 65, you will get Part A and Part B automatically after you’ve received disability benefits from Social Security for 24 months.

Working past 65

If you or your spouse plan to work past age 65, you may not need to enroll in Medicare when you turn 65.

Learn about working past 65

Step 4: How to enroll in a Blue Cross Medicare plan

You can choose how you want to enroll in a Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Supplement (Medigap), Medicare Cost or Part D Prescription Drug plan.

Learn more about enrolling in a plan

Support and resources

Compare plans

Blue Cross offers Cost, PPO, and PDP plans with Medicare contracts. Enrollment in these Blue Cross plans depends on contract renewal.

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