I got my Medicare card today, I'm not 65 yet, but I got it!

[forty6]

I turn 65 more than 90 days from now... but the literature tells me "Welcome to Medicaure"!

Then it goes on to talk about part A and part B and how part A is free and I have to pay for part B.

I'm not the stupidest person posting on the DU, but I might be pretty stupid. I thought all this went into effect on my 65th birthday... not now. What gives?

Of course, I will figure out the part B part, (I take medications costing me less than $15 a month so it's no big thing until I have some new need for expensive medicine.)

Any advice, private message or public message is welcome here. Do I actually have hospital coverage as of today and can give up my insurance? Does this notice just come 3+ months before taking effect?

Can I go to the hospital tonight and pay less than my co-pay from my current insurance?

Is this a Democratic plot to get me to vote against any Republican, (not that I already wouldn''t)?

What is all this literature about that I have to read soon? Anyone got the "cliff notes" version about all this material?

Why do Americans like me have to read 100+ pages of material to figure this out? In England, or France, where I used to live and work, I just had to register, and if I didn't,I was covered when I broke my leg anyway, if I just signed the forms in the hospital, and was covered if I died, anyway, without signing.