Finding a Medicare Office Near You

• by Christian Worstell
• September 12, 2023
• Reviewed by John Krahnert

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) oversees and manages Medicare, and the Social Security Administration (SSA) works with CMS to help enroll Medicare beneficiaries.

To locate a Social Security office near you where you can get help enrolling in Medicare, visit SSA.gov, the official website of the Social Security Administration, and type in your zip code in the search box.

After clicking “Locate,” you’ll be presented with the address, phone number and office hours of your nearest Social Security Administration office. You can get help with your Medicare questions by contacting or visiting this office.

The CMS headquarters is in Woodlawn, Maryland, and regional CMS offices are located in Washington, D.C., Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Denver, San Francisco and Seattle.

You can also find more information online about how to find a physician near you who accepts Medicare.

Using online Medicare services to save you a trip to the office

Fortunately, many of the services offered by a Medicare office – such as Medicare enrollment – can also be performed online or over the phone, so you may not even have to leave your house to get the Medicare help you need.

The official website of the Social Security Administration includes a Medicare section where you can perform a variety of tasks related to your coverage. Once you reach the SSA.gov website, you perform any of the following actions:

• Request a new Medicare card
  You can request a new card online through the SSA website if your Medicare card has been lost or stolen. You can also use the Social Security website to update your mailing address.
  
  
• Apply for Medicare
  If you are not automatically enrolled in Medicare, or if you would like to apply online for Medicare Part B, you may do so on the SSA.gov website.
  
  
• See common questions about Medicare application
  Have questions about the application process? You may be able to find your answer on the Social Security Administration website.
  
  
• Manage benefits
  Current Medicare beneficiaries can use SSA.gov to manage their Medicare benefits or apply for Medicare Extra Help.
  
  
• Learn more about Medicare
  SSA.gov is a great resource to learn more about the Medicare program by reviewing a number of free publications.

You can also find answers to many of your Medicare questions by visiting our Medicare Resources page. Here you can find information such as Medicare Advantage plan information for your state, Medicare FAQs, Medicare enrollment guides and more.

How do I speak to a person at Medicare?

Some people may prefer to speak to a Medicare representative over the phone, and some actions may require you to do so.

The official phone number for Medicare is 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048. You may call Medicare 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and help is available in both English and Spanish.

When calling Medicare, you may receive help with any of the following:

• Claim status
  Check the status on a claim that has been filed on your behalf.
  
  
• Coverage and benefits
  Not sure if a service or item will be covered by your Medicare insurance? You can call to find out.
  
  
• Premium payments
  Inquire about the status of a Medicare plan premium payment or ask a question about your balance.
  
  
• Preventive exams
  Medicare covers a number of preventive exams, and you are encouraged to call and find out which exams are eligible for Medicare coverage.
  
  
• Deductibles
  Need to know how money you have paid towards your Part A or Part B deductible? Call to find out and to find out if a particular service or item will count toward your deductible.
  
  
• Replacing a lost or stolen Medicare card
  Medicare fraud can happen as a result of a lost or stolen card, so be sure to call if you lose your Medicare card.

You may also speak to someone in person regarding your Medicare eligibility or enrollment by visiting your local Social Security office. 

Does Medicare have local offices?

Medicare has regional offices located in:

• Washington, D.C.
• Boston
• New York
• Philadelphia
• Atlanta
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Kansas City
• Denver
• San Francisco
• Seattle

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is headquartered in Woodlawn, Maryland. 

Local Social Security offices contain Medicare departments that can handle Medicare-related inquiries.

Where do I go to apply for Medicare?

There are three places to go where you may apply for Medicare.

1. Your local Social Security office
   Use the instructions above to locate your nearest Social Security office.
   
   
2. Online computer
   Go to www.SocialSecurity.gov and follow the instructions to enroll in Medicare.
   
   
3. Over the phone
   Call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to enroll in Medicare over the phone. 

Learn more about Medicare plans available near you

There may be additional Medicare coverage options that are available near you.

To learn more about Medicare Advantage plans (Medicare Part C) that may be available where you live, call to speak with a licensed insurance agent today.

About the author

Christian Worstell is a senior Medicare and health insurance writer with MedicareAdvantage.com. He is also a licensed health insurance agent. Christian is well-known in the insurance industry for the thousands of educational articles he’s written, helping Americans better understand their health insurance and Medicare coverage.

Christian’s work as a Medicare expert has appeared in several top-tier and trade news outlets including Forbes, MarketWatch, WebMD and Yahoo! Finance.

Christian has written hundreds of articles for MedicareAvantage.com that teach Medicare beneficiaries the best practices for navigating Medicare. His articles are read by thousands of older Americans each month. By better understanding their health care coverage, readers may hopefully learn how to limit their out-of-pocket Medicare spending and access quality medical care.

Christian’s passion for his role stems from his desire to make a difference in the senior community. He strongly believes that the more beneficiaries know about their Medicare coverage, the better their overall health and wellness is as a result.

A current resident of Raleigh, Christian is a graduate of Shippensburg University with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

If you’re a member of the media looking to connect with Christian, please don’t hesitate to email our public relations team at Mike@tzhealthmedia.com.

 

 

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