Need the Medicare phone number or Medicare help near you? Call 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227), TTY 877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — or pick your state below for its free SHIP help line. Brought to you by Medigap GPT.
Medigap GPT = Multi-source Expert Data Intelligence Guidance And Precision — America's first autonomous business engine powered by voice. Instead of searching, opening ten tabs, and waiting days for a callback, you just dial and go straight to intent: a fully-vetted expert, ready to help, saving you time and money.
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities. It has four parts:
Inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing, hospice, and some home health care.
Doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, and medical equipment.
Bundles Part A and B (often with drug coverage) through a private plan.
Helps cover the cost of prescription medications through private plans.
Original Medicare doesn't cover everything — that's where Medigap supplements come in. Medigap GPT connects you to a fully-vetted expert to compare your options — just call 1-800-MEDIGAP.
Enroll in Part A and Part B online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local Social Security office. Your Initial Enrollment Periodis a 7-month window: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the 3 months after. For plan help, call your state's SHIP line below.
Social Security office & phone →Choose your state to see its free SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) phone number for one-on-one Medicare counseling, plus the national Medicare line and hours.
Get the Social Security phone number and find your local field office by state.
Powered by Medigap GPT — Multi-source Expert Data Intelligence Guidance And Precision.
You enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security — online at ssa.gov, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or at a local Social Security office. Most people can sign up during their 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, which begins 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after. For plan questions, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) or your state's free SHIP help line listed above.
If you sign up during the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your Medicare coverage starts on the first day of the month you turn 65. If you enroll during the month you turn 65 or in the 3 months after, your start date can be delayed by 1 to 3 months. Enrolling early avoids gaps in coverage.
The national Medicare number is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For free, unbiased one-on-one help in your state, use the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) number in the finder above.
SHIP (the State Health Insurance Assistance Program) offers free, unbiased, local Medicare counseling in every state. 1-800-MEDICARE is the national federal line. SHIP counselors help you compare plans, understand costs, and resolve issues specific to your state — the numbers by state are listed on this page.
Part A covers hospital/inpatient care, Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care, Part C (Medicare Advantage) bundles A and B through a private plan, and Part D covers prescription drugs. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans help pay costs Original Medicare doesn't.
The main windows are the Initial Enrollment Period (around your 65th birthday), the General Enrollment Period (January 1–March 31 each year), Special Enrollment Periods (for qualifying life events like losing job coverage), and Medicare Open Enrollment (October 15–December 7) to change plans.
Medicare is a federal program, so there is no local Medicare 'office' the way Social Security has field offices. Instead, call 1-800-MEDICARE, use your state's free SHIP counselor (numbers above), or visit a Social Security office to enroll in Part A and Part B.
Original Medicare does not cover everything — you can owe deductibles, copays, and coinsurance with no annual out-of-pocket limit. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) insurance helps pay those gaps. To compare your options with a real expert, call 1-800-MEDIGAP or learn what Medigap GPT is on our homepage.