Medicare Resources for Ocean & Monmouth County

Key Medicare dates to remember

• Initial Enrollment Period: Seven months around your 65th birthday. It starts three months before your birthday month and ends three months after.

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 each year. You can switch Medicare Advantage or Part D plans, or move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Changes start January 1.

• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare once during this time.

• General Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31, for people who missed signing up for Part A or Part B when first eligible. Late penalties may apply.

• Special Enrollment Periods: Moving, losing employer coverage, and some other life events can let you make changes outside these windows.

Official Medicare tools

• Medicare.gov — Compare plans, look up what's covered, and download the Medicare & You handbook. Or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day.

• Social Security (ssa.gov) — Sign up for Part A and Part B, apply for Extra Help with drug costs, and update your information. Call 1-800-772-1213.

• Your Medicare card — If you lose it, you can print a replacement through your account on Medicare.gov.

New Jersey programs that can help

• PAAD (Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled) — A New Jersey program that can lower prescription costs for eligible residents with limited income.

• Senior Gold Prescription Discount Program — For New Jersey residents whose income is a little too high for PAAD.

• Medicare Savings Programs — Can help pay your Part B premium and other costs if your income and savings are limited.

• NJ SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — Free, unbiased Medicare counseling from trained volunteers.

• NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid) — New Jersey's Medicaid program. Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid ("dual eligible").

Income limits for these programs change every year. I'm happy to help you figure out whether you might qualify.

Help paying for prescriptions

Besides the programs above, some drug manufacturers run Patient Assistance Programs for people who can't afford their medicines. Discount cards (such as GoodRx) can sometimes beat your plan's price, but purchases made with them usually don't count toward your plan's out-of-pocket costs. See our Prescription Assistance page for more.

Learn more on our site

• What Is Medicare?

• The Parts of Medicare

• What Does Medicare Cover?

• Medicare Enrollment Periods

• How Much Does Medicare Cost?

• Medicare Advantage vs. Supplements

• Our Blog

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