I'm choosing a plan
Turning 65: when do I sign up for Medicare?
Photo: Kampus Production / Pexels
Your Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months: the 3 months before your 65th birthday month, that month, and the 3 months after. Most people sign up during it, unless they still have coverage from a current job with 20 or more employees.
What to do
- Mark the 7 months on your calendar: 3 months before your birthday month, that month, and 3 months after.
- If you already get Social Security, you'll be signed up for Parts A and B automatically. If not, sign up through Social Security.
- Still covered through your own or your spouse's current job at an employer with 20 or more employees? Ask the benefits office, in writing, whether you can wait on Part B.
- Choose drug coverage (a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan). If you keep Original Medicare, your 6-month Medigap open enrollment is when insurers can't turn you down or charge more for health problems.
What to say
I turn 65 in [month]. Can you confirm my Initial Enrollment Period dates, whether I will be enrolled in Part A automatically, and what I need to do to start Part B on time?
Say this to Social Security, which handles Medicare enrollment, or to a SHIP counselor.
What to watch out for
This is a sensitive stepSmall details here can change the outcome, and some mistakes are hard to undo. We highly recommend a free 15-minute call with us before you decide.
Delaying Part B because you have COBRA or retiree coverage. Those do not count as coverage from a current job, so the penalty and a gap in coverage can still apply.
Better done together
We’re here to help
Signing up for Medicare has deadlines that can cost you for years if they are missed. We go through the timing with you, including work coverage and Medigap, so you sign up once and get it right.
Every situation is different, and these are sensitive moments, so we look at yours with care. We often see what others miss, and we never take commissions from insurance companies: the only thing we are working for is what is right for you.
Free · 15 minutes · No pressure
The rule behind it
Your Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months around your 65th birthday month. If you sign up for Part B late, you pay an extra 10% of the standard premium for each full year you could have had it, usually for as long as you have Part B. Coverage from a current job, yours or your spouse's, lets you wait and gives you 8 months to sign up after it ends; COBRA and retiree coverage don't count. Medigap open enrollment lasts 6 months from the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — When does Medicare coverage start?
- Medicare.gov — Avoid late enrollment penalties
- Medicare.gov — Working past 65
- CMS — 5 things you need to know about signing up for Medicare
- Medicare.gov — Medigap: ready to buy
Amanda Alcodia
Education, not medical, legal or insurance advice.
Useful next steps
Start with the free Kit. If your situation needs a person, the intro call is free too.