Medicare confusion catches retirees

Rules for enrolling in Medicare are complex. But when people postpone retirement past age 65, as many people are doing these days, it's easy to get caught up in red tape, reports WSJ.com.

Older adults can't get into Medicare any time they want, the article notes. The easiest time to sign up is when you turn 65, and, if you're already collecting Social Security, enrollment is automatic. But if you keep working beyond that age and opt instead to stay with your employer's group health plan, your options for getting Medicare can be sharply limited. It's important to pay attention to strict enrollment deadlines, or you may face a fine and risk going without coverage for months.

According to the site, Medicare advocates say a growing number of older adults are getting ensnared in the program's complex rules, as more seniors return to work or put off leaving their jobs. The nonprofit Medicare Rights Center says that before the recession it typically received a handful of calls each month from people trying to sort out the enrollment rules. Now, the organization says it gets several such calls a day.