Turning 65
New to Medicare: what to do when you turn 65
Your first chance to sign up opens three months before your 65th birthday. Here is what to decide, and when.
Your first enrollment window
Most people get a seven-month window called the Initial Enrollment Period. It starts three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and runs three months after.
Signing up in the three months before your birthday month usually means coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. Waiting until after can delay your start date.
The two decisions in front of you
First, Original Medicare: Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctors and outpatient). Most people take Part A when eligible.
Second, how to cover what Original Medicare leaves behind. There are two common paths, and you generally pick one:
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) replaces how you receive your benefits, usually with a network and often with drug coverage included.
- Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plus a Part D drug plan keeps Original Medicare and helps with the out-of-pocket costs.
Neither is better in the abstract. Which one fits depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, your travel, and your budget.
If you are still working at 65
If you have creditable coverage through an employer, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty and enroll later through a Special Enrollment Period.
This is where mistakes get expensive. Employer plans with fewer than 20 employees, retiree coverage, COBRA, and marketplace plans are not all treated the same way. Check before you delay anything.
Late enrollment penalties
If you miss your window without qualifying coverage, Part B and Part D can each carry a penalty that is added to your premium for as long as you have the coverage. Part D also counts the months you went without creditable drug coverage.
Penalties are avoidable. They are also permanent, which is why the timing matters more than the plan choice for most people at 65.
What to have ready
- Your Medicare card, if you have one, with the Part A and Part B start dates
- A list of your prescriptions with exact dosages and how often you take them
- The names of your primary doctor and any specialists you want to keep
- Any employer or retiree coverage details, if you are still working
Official resource
Check the source, then ask for personal help
Educational information is general. A licensed agent can help with plan comparisons; agents do not provide medical, legal, or official eligibility advice.
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