Enrolling When You or a Family Member Is Medicare-Eligible

If you or someone in your household is eligible for Medicare, your enrollment in benefitbay® works a little differently than a standard medical enrollment. Medicare-eligible members don't shop for an individual plan in benefitbay. Instead, they schedule a meeting with a licensed Medicare specialist who helps them choose and apply for Medicare coverage.

Who Is Considered Medicare-Eligible?

benefitbay treats a person as Medicare-eligible starting the first day of the month they turn 65. For example, someone whose 65th birthday is on June 20 is treated as Medicare-eligible starting June 1.

Medicare-eligible members show a Medicare label next to their name during enrollment.

Under 65 with Medicare due to a disability or ESRD? benefitbay identifies Medicare eligibility by age, so it won't automatically recognize Medicare eligibility for other reasons. Contact support at support@benefitbay.com so we can help you enroll the right way.

Step 1: Log In and Complete the Getting-Started Steps

Every employee starts the same way, whether or not anyone in the household is Medicare-eligible:

Log in to benefitbay.
Review and sign the required notices.
Confirm your household and employer information.
Add your doctors and prescriptions.

Don't skip the doctors and prescriptions step. Medicare specialists use this information to recommend coverage that works for you. If your doctors or medications change later, you can log back in and update them at any time, including before your Medicare meeting.

Step 2: Start Your Medicare Enrollment

If your employer has an early Medicare enrollment window

Some employers open enrollment early for Medicare-eligible members, because Medicare can take longer to process than other coverage. If your employer does this:

Before the window opens, your enrollment page shows "Your Medicare enrollment opens [date]."
When the window opens, you'll see Start Medicare enrollment, marked Do this first.
Shop shows as Locked during this window. Family members who aren't Medicare-eligible can enroll once regular open enrollment begins. The date is shown on the page.
During the early window, only Medicare-eligible members can enroll, one at a time.

If there's no early Medicare window

Medicare-eligible members start enrolling when regular enrollment opens. Choose Shop, then select the Medicare-eligible person. benefitbay will take you to the Medicare scheduling step instead of plan shopping.

Step 3: Schedule Your Medicare Enrollment Meeting

After you select a Medicare-eligible person, you'll see "Time to schedule your Medicare enrollment meeting." What happens next depends on who your employer uses for Medicare enrollment.

If benefitbay handles your Medicare enrollment

Select Schedule my enrollment meeting to choose a date and time with a benefitbay Medicare advisor right in benefitbay. Advisors are licensed in your state, and you can meet by phone or video.
Answer a few short questions and confirm your meeting.
You'll see "You are booked!" and receive a confirmation email.
You can also visit benefitbay's Medicare Resource Hub. It covers Medicare basics, how Medicare works with your employer's ICHRA benefit, and what to bring to your meeting.

What to have ready for your meeting:

Your Medicare ID number, found on your red, white, and blue Medicare card.
(Recommended, not required) Access to your **Medicare.gov account**. This helps set up automatic payment for your Part A and Part B premiums.
Join from a computer if you can, not a phone. That way your advisor can share their screen and walk you through carrier applications.

During the meeting, your advisor will review your situation, your doctors and your prescriptions, and recommend coverage options.

If your employer uses a different Medicare enroller

Some employers work with their own preferred Medicare enrollment partner. You still need to log in to benefitbay and start your enrollment. That's how you reach your employer's enroller.

On the scheduling page, select Schedule my enrollment meeting. This opens your employer's preferred enroller in a new window, where you can book a phone or video call with a Medicare specialist.
Scheduling, plan recommendations and the Medicare application are handled by that enroller, not by benefitbay.
Once your application is complete, the enroller adds your plan details to benefitbay.

For questions about your meeting time or your Medicare application, contact the enroller directly. For questions about your benefitbay account or enrollment, contact support@benefitbay.com.

Enrolling the Rest of Your Family

Medicare is individual coverage. Each Medicare-eligible person gets their own Medicare policy, so they can't be on the same plan as family members who aren't Medicare-eligible.

If you (the employee) are Medicare-eligible: your Medicare enrollment covers only you. After you've started your Medicare enrollment, add a separate plan for any family members who aren't Medicare-eligible.
If a family member is Medicare-eligible but you aren't: enroll yourself first. You can include your non-Medicare family members on your plan, then start a separate Medicare enrollment for the Medicare-eligible family member.
If more than one person is Medicare-eligible: each person enrolls in Medicare separately, one at a time.
If your employer has an early Medicare window: non-Medicare family members can shop once regular open enrollment begins.

See Can I Enroll My Family in Multiple Plans? for more on covering family members across different plans.

Quick Answers

Do I need to log in to benefitbay if my employer uses a different Medicare enroller?
Yes. Log in and start your enrollment. The link to your employer's preferred enroller is on the Medicare scheduling page.

Can I shop for Medicare plans in benefitbay?
No. Medicare-eligible members enroll through a meeting with a licensed Medicare specialist, either a benefitbay Medicare advisor or your employer's preferred enroller.

Why is Shop locked for my family?
Your employer opened an early enrollment window for Medicare-eligible members. Family members who aren't Medicare-eligible can shop when regular open enrollment begins, on the date shown on your enrollment page.

Why can't I put my spouse on my Medicare plan?
Medicare covers one person per policy. Your spouse can be enrolled on a separate plan.

When am I considered Medicare-eligible?
benefitbay treats you as Medicare-eligible close to the date of your 65th birthday. If you have Medicare for another reason, such as a disability, contact support.

What should I bring to my Medicare meeting?
Your Medicare ID number, access to your Medicare.gov account if you have one, and a computer to join from. Make sure your doctors and prescriptions are up to date in benefitbay beforehand.

My doctors or medications changed after I scheduled. What do I do?
Log back in to benefitbay and update them. Your advisor uses this information during your meeting.

I need to change or cancel my meeting.
Use the link in your confirmation email, or contact support@benefitbay.com. If your employer uses a different Medicare enroller, contact that enroller directly.

Need Help?

Email support@benefitbay.com or use the benefitbay chat if you have questions about your Medicare enrollment.

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