We encourage you to utilize the information below, but here are some numbers if you need to speak with someone:

Social Security Grand Forks Office: 800-772-1213
Medicare: 800-633-4227
North Dakota Insurance Department: 701-328-2440
SHIC (Senior Health Insurance Counselor at the ND Insurance Department): 888-575-6611

 Turning 65?

Learning about Medicare and Social Security can be challenging, so if you are turning 65 years old soon, you may want to educate yourself by reading some of the information available on this page or watching the videos.

Social Security Explained | Videos by AARP Answers to the most common Social Security questions that you may be asking including how does Social Security work, how to apply, and how to replace your Social Security card.

Medicare & You and Other Informational Medicare Videos Official YouTube Channel for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) responsible for all Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP information.

Medicare Made Easy | Videos by AARP. Answers to some of the most common questions on Medicare’s plan options, coverage and costs.

Getting started with Medicare from Medicare.gov

Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease). 

Some people get Medicare automatically, others have to actively sign up -- it depends if you start getting retirement or disability benefits from Social Security before you turn 65. 

What do Social Security benefits have to do with getting Medicare?

Before you turn 65:

  • If you apply to start getting retirement benefits from Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board) at least 4 months before you turn 65, you’ll automatically get Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) when you turn 65.

  • You’ll still need to make important decisions about how you get your coverage, including adding drug coverage.

If you want to get Medicare when you turn 65, but aren’t planning to take retirement benefits at that time, you’ll need to sign up for Medicare.

After you turn 65:

  • You’ll have to contact Social Security when you’re ready to sign up for Medicare.

  • Depending on your work situation and if you have health coverage through your employer, you may want to wait to sign up for Medicare.

Parts of Medicare from Medicare.gov

  • Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) - Part A helps cover:

    • Inpatient care in hospitals

    • Skilled nursing facility care

    • Hospice care

    • Home health care

  • Medicare Part B (medical insurance) - Part B helps cover:

    • Services from doctors and other health care providers

    • Outpatient care

    • Home health care

    • Durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and other equipment)

    • Many preventive services (like screenings, shots or vaccines, and yearly “Wellness” visits)

  • Medicare Part D (drug coverage) - Part D helps cover the cost of prescription drugs (including many recommended shots or vaccines). You join a Medicare drug plan in addition to Original Medicare, or you get it by joining a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage. Plans that offer Medicare drug coverage are run by private insurance companies that follow rules set by Medicare.

  • Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap) - Extra insurance you can buy from a private company that helps pay your share of costs in Original Medicare. Policies are standardized, and in most states named by letters, like Plan G or Plan K. The benefits in each lettered plan are the same, no matter which insurance company sells it.

Costs

What you pay for Medicare will vary based on what coverage and services you get, and what providers you visit. What are my coverage options?

There's no yearly limit on what you pay out-of-pocket, unless you have supplemental coverage, like a

Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, or you join a Medicare Advantage Plan.