If you don’t have to pay a premium for Part A (Hospital Insurance) , you can choose to sign up when you turn 65 (or anytime later). Will I have to pay a premium for Part A?
If you or your spouse are still working, you may be able to wait to sign up for Medicare without paying a late enrollment penalty.
Ask the employer that provides your health insurance if you need to sign up for Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) when you turn 65. If you don’t sign up for Part A and Part B, your job-based insurance might not cover the costs for services you get.
Where you’re self-employed or have health insurance that’s not available to everyone at the company (like retiree coverage).
Ask your insurance provider if your coverage is employer group health plan coverage (as defined by the IRS). If it’s not, sign up for Medicare when you turn 65 to avoid a monthly Part B late enrollment penalty .
If you have retiree coverage from a previous job, it may not pay for your health services if you don't have both Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) . Ask your benefits administrator how your retiree coverage works with Medicare.
Don’t risk losing your retiree coverage — check before joining a plan.
The employer may offer coverage when you have Medicare, like a supplemental plan, drug coverage, or Medicare Advantage Plan. If they do, ask if you or your family will lose your retiree coverage if you join a plan the employer doesn’t offer. Get more information about retiree coverage & Medicare.
Answer a few questions to find out when to sign up for Medicare and get other important information, based on the specific type of coverage you have.
The rules vary depending on what type of other health insurance you have. Contact your health insurance plan to get more information.
Like insurance you bought with a stipend from work.
Ask your health insurance company if you need to sign up for Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) when you turn 65. Some private insurance companies have rules that lower what they pay (or don’t pay at all) for services you get if you’re eligible for other coverage, like Medicare. Once you sign up, Medicare pays first.
If your job offered you COBRA coverage after your employment ended, or after you lost coverage as the dependent of the covered employee, the rules may vary.
Don’t wait until your COBRA coverage ends to sign up for Part B — COBRA coverage doesn’t extend your limited time to sign up for Medicare.
And you got COBRA after you signed up for Medicare.
COBRA pays after Medicare (unless you have End-Stage Renal Disease).
How you sign up depends on if you already have Part A (hospital insurance) coverage or if you’re signing up for both Part A and Part B (Medical Insurance) . Get forms and ways to sign up.
Your coverage will start the month after Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board) processes your completed form.
Before you sign up:
After you sign up for Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance), you can choose how you get your coverage.
Before you go further: It’s important to learn more about your coverage options so you understand your choices.
If you have retiree coverage, don’t risk losing it. Check before joining a plan.
Your employer may offer coverage when you have Medicare, like a supplemental plan, drug coverage, or Medicare Advantage Plan. If they do, ask if you or your family will lose your retiree coverage if you join a plan the employer doesn’t offer.
As long as you have creditable prescription drug coverage , you can wait to join a Medicare drug plan or a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage.
You won’t pay the Part D late enrollment penalty as long as you don’t go more than 63 days without creditable drug coverage. Learn how to avoid the late enrollment penalty.