Turning 65? Your Medicare guide
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Turning sixty-five? Let's take it one step at a time. Your first enrollment window usually lasts seven months: three months before your birthday month, that month, and three months after. Enroll before your birthday month for Part B to start that month. Enroll during it or the next three months, and Part B starts the following month. Born on the first? Your eligibility month and enrollment window move one month earlier.
Coverage through your or your spouse's current job may let you delay Part B. Employer size matters, so check with your benefits office and a licensed agent before delaying. COBRA and retiree coverage don't extend the Part B deadline. Creditable drug coverage is a separate check for Part D. You can also call one eight hundred Medicare with questions.
Now, the A, B, C, and D of Medicare. Part A is hospital insurance. Part B is medical insurance. Part C, Medicare Advantage, combines A and B, and usually includes Part D. Part D helps cover prescription drugs.
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General education for people approaching 65. Confirm your own dates and coverage with your benefits office and a licensed agent. Enrollment dates at Medicare.gov ↗
First, check your coverage
Do I need Medicare
at 65?
Work insurance?Your job or your spouse’sCheck your plan
No work insurance?Check enrollment nowKnow your dates
Start early. Avoid gaps & late penalties.
Other coverage? Check your situation ↗You or your spouse are still working
Can I wait to enroll?
Ask your
benefits office.“Do I need Parts A & B at 65?”
Current job coverage may let you delay Part B. Confirm first.
What should I ask?
- Is this group coverage from my or my spouse’s current job?
- Can I delay Part B and still be fully covered?
- Do special employer or multi-employer rules apply?
COBRA and retiree coverage do not extend the Part B enrollment deadline. Have an HSA? Check contribution timing before applying for Medicare.
Who pays first? Medicare.gov ↗Working past 65 & HSAs ↗A separate check for prescriptions
Is my drug coverage
“creditable”?
Expected to pay at least as much as Medicare’s standard drug coverage.
Ask HR or your planfor the creditable coverage notice.
Keep the noticewith your Medicare records.
Drug coverage has its own penalty rules.
How do I avoid a drug penalty?
After your first enrollment window, going 63 days or more without Part D or creditable drug coverage may trigger a late penalty. Arrange your next coverage before the current plan ends.
Creditable drug coverage does not, by itself, let you delay Part B. Ask your plan for its notice each year.
Part D penalty rules ↗Your usual first enrollment window
Put your dates
on the calendar.
before
month
after
Begin checking 3 months before your birthday month.
Birthday on the 1st or working past 65?
Born on the 1st? Your initial enrollment dates shift one month earlier. For example, with a June 1 birthday, your window is February through August. Enroll in February, March, or April for coverage to start May 1.
If you delay Part B with qualifying job coverage, you generally have 8 months after work or coverage ends, whichever comes first. Plan your start date before coverage ends to avoid a gap. Drug coverage has a different deadline.
Confirm your dates at Medicare.gov ↗After enrollment: your Medicare account
After you enroll
Your Medicare.gov account
Manage your card and premium payments.
Have your Medicare number ready.Create an account (opens in a new tab)
Next: explore your coverage choices
Two coverage choices
| Original MedicareParts A + B | Medicare AdvantagePart C · private plan |
|---|---|
Drug coverageSeparate Part D | Drug coverageUsually included |
MedigapOptional add-on | MedigapNot used |
Doctors & hospitalsAny that accept Medicare, nationwide | Doctors & hospitalsCheck plan network |
Part B premiums generally apply to both.
Costs & enrollment details
With Original Medicare and a standard Medicare supplement, you can see any doctor or use any hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare. Medigap helps with your share of Original Medicare costs and has its own enrollment window.
Medicare Advantage costs, networks, and approvals vary by plan.
Compare at Medicare.gov ↗Check what matters to you
- Your doctors
- Your medicines
- Your budget
- Your travel
Let’s talk it through.
Official Medicare resources
General education. Confirm your dates and coverage. Reviewed September 12, 2026.