If you will be eligible for Social Security retirement benefits when you turn 65, you can enroll in Medicare at your local Social Security office.

You can also enroll by mailing a signed and dated letter to Social Security that includes your name, Social Security number and the date you would like to be enrolled in Medicare.

To find your local Social Security office, call the National Social Security Hotline at 800-772-1213 or click on the link in the LINKS box.

If you are receiving railroad retirement benefits or are eligible to receive railroad retirement benefits, enroll in Medicare by contacting your local Railroad Retirement Board field office.

To find your local Railroad Retirement Board field office, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 312-751-7139 or click on the link in the LINKS box.

It is very important that you keep proof of when you tried to enroll in Medicare to protect yourself from incurring a Part B premium penalty if your application is lost. If you enroll through the mail, you should use certified mail or request a return receipt. If you go to the local Social Security office to enroll, take down the name of the person who helped you and ask for a written receipt.

To find out what the Medicare Part B premium penalty is, click on the links in the GO TO box.