Medicare's Part B general enrollment period will end Tuesday (March 31).

If you are eligible for Part B Medicare medical insurance but haven't signed up, you can do so through tomorrow.

Every year the government offers a threemonth open enrollment period from Jan. 1 through March 31. This period gives you a second chance if you didn't enroll when you were first eligible, or if you dropped your coverage in the interim. If you enroll during the current sign-up period, your coverage will begin July 1, 2009. Most delayed enrollees pay a 10 percent surcharge for each year they could have enrolled but did not. However, you may be able to delay enrollment in Part B without paying a premium penalty or waiting for a general enrollment period if you or your spouse are still working and covered under an employer group health plan. In this case, you can enroll in Medicare Part B during an eight-month special enrollment period.

The enrollment period begins with the month employment ends or the month your group plan coverage ends, whichever comes first.

Part B coverage helps pay for doctors' care, outpatient hospital visits and other medical services not covered by Medicare's hospital insurance (Part A). People are offered the option of signing up for Part B at the time they are automatically enrolled in Medicare's hospital insurance program. For 2009, the standard premium for Part B coverage is $96.40 per month. Some "high-income" individuals pay more than the

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standard premium.

If you have any questions about Medicare's general enrollment period or special enrollment period, or if you would like to sign up for Part B Medicare coverage, call Social Security's toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. any business day, or check SSA's Web site www. socialsecurity.gov.

For information on Medicare or how other health insurance plans work with Medicare, call 1-800-633-4227 and ask for "Medicare and Other Health Benefits: Your Guide to Who Pays First" (Publication No. CMS-02179), or visit www. medicare.gov.

Anthony Renzoni is district manager of the Bridgeport office of the Social Security Administration. His column appears every Monday.