Hello Toni: I have a few questions about enrolling in Medicare since I am turning 65 this January:

— Will my Medicare start automatically in January since I am still working?

— If I retire when I’m 67, do I stay on COBRA or enroll in a Medicare plan?

— What happens if I get another job?

Friends and co-workers tell me one thing about Medicare, and the massive number of telemarketing calls I am receiving are telling me something else.

Can you please explain what I should do? I am sure there are others in Medicare land who need answers to these worrisome yet semi-simple Medicare questions. Thanks. — Sherry, Tampa, Fla.

Sherry: You’re smart to be asking these questions now, Sherry. Enrolling in Medicare the right way will help you avoid late-enrollment penalties, which you would pay for the rest of your Medicare life.

Below are answers to a few common Medicare questions which are discussed during a Toni Says Medicare consultation.

1. Is the Medicare enrollment process automatic?

Answer: Medicare enrollment is automatic only if you are receiving your Social Security benefits before turning 65. If you are not receiving your Social Security check, you will not be enrolled in Medicare and will need to apply online, at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up, if you are not working full-time with employer benefits or working full-time and want Medicare as your health benefits.

Not signing up at the right time is costly, especially after 65 and leaving employer benefits. Sherry, when leaving your employer after 65, your employer fills out Medicare form CMS-L564 (Request for Employment Information) and you fill out CMS-40B (Application for Enrollment in Medicare Part B) which tells when you want Medicare Part B to begin. Write “Special Enrollment Period” across the top to specify that you are enrolling after turning 65. Take both forms to your local Social Security office for your Medicare to begin. (Chapter 1 of Toni’s Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition explains in detail enrolling in Medicare when past 65 and retiring.)

2. Should I enroll in Medicare even if offered COBRA health insurance when I leave my job or enroll in a Medicare plan?

Answer: Yes. Enroll in Medicare. Although you might need COBRA to cover a spouse or dependent child, Medicare should be your primary insurance coverage once you are 65 or older and not “working full-time” with company benefits. You will want to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B. Explore which option is best for your Medicare situation either a Medicare Supplement that works with “Original Medicare” and a stand-alone Medicare Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan with Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage included.

Many COBRA health plans will allow the COBRA retiree, enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B to opt out of the COBRA plan, while the family stays on COBRA.

3. What if I become unemployed or retire, enroll in Medicare, and then go back into a full-time job?

Answer: If your new employer provides health insurance, you can disenroll from Medicare Part B by contacting Medicare at 800-633-4227. Request the form to delay your Medicare Part B because you now have medical benefits provided by your or your spouse’s new employer.

You can re-enroll when you finally retire without paying late enrollment penalties by having the current employer sign CMS-L564 “Request for Employment Information” form and filing it with the CMS-40B to reapply for Medicare Part B with Social Security.

Readers, following advice from well-meaning friends who do not know Medicare’s specific rules can jeopardize your Medicare, so be sure to research the facts. With Medicare, what you don’t know will hurt you.

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues.