As a Medicare beneficiary, you have access to numerous support resources both near you and online. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has regional offices staffed by Medicare representatives to provide you with education and answers to your questions. At Social Security Administration (SSA) local offices, you can get help with Medicare applications and retirement and disability benefits.
You may not need to visit a Social Security or Medicare office near you; however, because you can conduct most of your research and business online. Read on to learn about how to access your Medicare resources.
How to Find Your Nearest Medicare Office
The CMS has regional offices throughout the country that act as the agency’s state and local presence. Each regional office serves surrounding states to educate and address questions from Medicare beneficiaries, health care providers, state governments, CMS contractors, and community groups.
Here is a list of CMS national and regional offices with addresses and contact information:
CMS Offices: Find Your Regional Medicare Office | |
Central Office | 7500 Security Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21244 |
Washington, D.C. Office | The Hubert H. Humphrey Building
200 Independence Ave., S.W. Washington, DC 20001 |
Region I – Boston, MA | John F. Kennedy Federal Building
15 New Sudbury Street, Room 2325 Boston, MA 02203-0003 |
Region 2 – New York, NY | 26 Federal Plaza, Room 3811
New York, NY 10278-0063 |
Region 3 – Philadelphia, PA | 801 Market Street
Suite 9400 Philadelphia PA 19107-3134 |
Region 4 – Atlanta, GA | Atlanta Federal Center, 4th Floor
61 Forsyth Street, SW, Suite 4T20 Atlanta, GA 30303-8909 |
Region 5 – Chicago, IL | 233 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 600
Chicago, IL 60601 |
Region 6 – Dallas, TX | 1301 Young Street, Room 714
Dallas, TX 75202 |
Region 7 – Kansas City, MO | Richard Bolling Federal Building
601 East 12th Street, Room 355 Kansas City, MO 64106-2808 |
Region 8 – Denver, CO | 1961 Stout Street, Room 08-148
Denver, CO 80202 |
Region 9 – San Francisco, CA | 90 7th Street, #5-300 (W)
San Francisco, CA 94103-6706 |
Region 10 – Seattle, WA | 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1600
Seattle, WA 98104 |
Where You Can Apply for Medicare
You apply for Medicare with the Social Security Administration. Find your local office here or contact SSA at the national toll free number: 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778). You can take care of most of your business with Social Security using online services, including:
- Apply for benefits (retirement, Medicare, or disability)
- Check your application status
- Estimate retirement benefits
- Apply for Extra Help with prescription drug plan costs
- Request a replacement Medicare card or Social Security card
- Appeal a decision about your disability or Social Security benefits
- Print proof of benefits
- Manage your account profile and payment information
- Get tax forms
- Review frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Set up a free My Social Security account or log in to your existing account to access your online services.
How to Contact Medicare
You may want to contact Medicare or access Medicare.gov for enrollment and benefits information and to find and compare health and drug plans in your area. Social Security and Medicare services are often related.
Check out this chart to help you know which agency you should contact, depending on your question. For example, you can sign up for Medicare Part A and B, or request a replacement Medicare card through Social Security. Or check the status of your Medicare claim or find a health plan in your area through CMS.
Get started with Medicare here to learn about:
- Medicare basics (parts of Medicare, how it works, and what it costs)
- How and when to sign up for Parts A and B (you’ll be directed to the Social Security site) and when your coverage starts
- Your coverage options (find plans and compare plans in your area, Medigap, Medicare Advantage, prescription drug plans)
- Helpful tools for using Medicare, how to get your Medicare card, and how to get services
Find out everything you need to know about Medicare at CMS’s website or Medicare.gov. If you need to talk with someone about your claims or personal Medicare information, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
Create or log in to your secure Medicare account to access personalized information. It’s helpful to have your own account to check claims status and to search for plans. You can save your list of current medications so you don’t have to re-input them when you compare plans to enroll for the first time or make a change during open enrollment.
Medicare also has a Live Chat feature available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except some federal holidays.
You have the right to get Medicare information in accessible formats including braille, large print, data/audio files, relay services and TTY communications. If you need accessible information or printed forms, you can:
- Call: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.
- Email: [email protected]
- Send a fax at 1-844-530-3676
- Mail a letter to:
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
Offices of Hearings and Inquiries (OHI)
7500 Security Boulevard, Mail Stop S1-13-25
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850
Attn: Customer Accessibility Resource Staff
Find Local Doctors Who Take Medicare
Medicare pays for covered services provided by physicians and providers who take Medicare. Many of these physicians take Medicare assignment, meaning they won’t charge you more than what Medicare approves for payment for services. Find preferred doctors in your area who take Medicare at Medicare.gov. On this site, input:
- Your location
- Provider type
- More specific information (optional), such as your doctor’s name or specialty.
You can further filter your search by:
- Distance (how far you would have to drive)
- Practitioner gender
- Whether or not they take Medicare assignment
- Board certifications
- Hospital affiliations.
In addition to doctors, you can also search for hospitals, nursing homes, home health services, hospice, inpatient rehab and dialysis facilities, and long-term care hospitals.
National Medicare Support
Federal Medicare Resources | ||
Resource | Contact | How they help |
Benefits Checkup by the National Council on Aging | Phone: 800-794-6559 | The National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a respected national leader and trusted partner helping older adults meet the challenges of aging |
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY: 1-877-486-2048 | A federal government website managed and paid for by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services as a guide to navigating your Health Care options |
Medicare & You Guide by Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services | N/A | A PDF guide that outlines your Medicare options. Hard copy available. |
Medicare.gov | 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY: 1-877-486-2048 | The main government website for Medicare information about benefits and plan comparisons. Create a personal account here. |
Social Security Administration | 1-800-772-1213 (TTY: 1-800-325-0778) | Offers retirement, disability, and survivor benefits. Sign up for Medicare here. |
Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans | N/A | A PDF primer on the Medicare Advantage program and how it differs from Original Medicare |
Learn More From Our Sources
- CMS | Contact Us | Last accessed February 2025
- CMS | Regional Offices | Last accessed February 2025
- Medicare | Find and Compare Providers Near You | Last accessed February 2025
- Medicare | Log In or Create an Account | Last accessed February 2025
- Medicare | Talk to Someone | Last accessed February 2025
- SSA | Who Do I Contact – Social Security or Medicare? | Last accessed February 2025
- SSA | Log In or Create an Account | Last accessed February 2025