Initial Enrollment Period
You can sign up when you’re first eligible for Part A and/or Part B (for which you pay monthly
Premiums) during your Initial Enrollment Period. For example, if you’re eligible when you turn 65, you can sign up during the 7-month period that begins 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes the month you turn 65, and ends 3 months after the month you turn 65.
3 months before the month you turn 65 |
2 months before the month you turn 65 |
1 month before the month you turn 65 |
The month you turn 65 |
1 month after the month you turn 65 |
2 months after the month you turn 65 |
3 months after the month you turn 65 |
Sign up early to avoid a delay in
coverage. To get Part A and/or Part B
the month you turn 65, you must sign
up during the first 3 months before
the month you turn 65. |
If you wait until the last 4 months of your Initial Enrollment Period to sign up for Part A and/or Part B, your coverage will be delayed. See chart below. |
Note:
If you’re automatically enrolled, these enrollment periods don’t apply to you.
If you sign up for Part A and/or Part B during the first 3 months of your Initial Enrollment Period, your coverage start date will depend on your birthday:
General Enrollment Period
If you didn’t sign up for Part A and/or Part B (for which you pay monthly
Premiums) when you were first eligible, you can sign up between January 1–March 31 each year. Your coverage will begin July 1. You may have to pay a higher premium for late enrollment.
See: What You Pay for Medicare:
January |
July 1 |
February |
July 1 |
March |
July 1 |
Special Enrollment Period
If you didn’t sign up for Part A and/or Part B (for which you pay monthly
Premiums) when you were first eligible because you’re covered under a group health plan based on current employment, you can sign up for Part A and/or Part B as follows:
Anytime that you or your spouse (or family member if you’re disabled) is working, and you’re covered by a group health plan through the employer or union based on that work | | Or | | During the 8-month period that begins the month after the employment ends or the group health plan insurance based on current employment ends, whichever happens first |
Usually, you don’t pay a late enrollment penalty if you sign up
during a Special Enrollment Period. This Special Enrollment Period doesn’t apply to people with End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). You may also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you’re a volunteer serving in a foreign country.
Note: COBRA and retiree health plans aren’t considered coverage
based on current employent. You’re not eligible for a Special Enrollment Period when that coverage ends. To avoid paying a higher premium, make sure you sign up for Medicare when you’re first eligible.
(Primary Source: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - Medicare and You Handbook. This content may have been enhanced by Q1Group LLC to include further examples, explanations, and links.)