When can I sign up for Medicare Part B? When I turn 65? I don’t want to pay a penalty. What if I am covered under an employer group health insurance plan? Can I avoid the Medicare COBRA trap?
From Medicare.gov . . .
Can I delay Medicare Part B enrollment without paying higher premiums?
Yes. In certain cases, you can delay your Medicare Part B enrollment without having to pay higher premiums. If you didn’t take Medicare Part B when you were first eligible because you or your spouse were working and had group health plan coverage through your or your spouse’s employer or union, you can sign up for Medicare Part B during a Special Enrollment Period. You can sign up:
If you are disabled and working (or you have coverage from a working family member), the Special Enrollment Period rules also apply.
Effective date if you sign up during a Special Enrollment Period
If you enroll in Medicare Part B while covered by the group health plan or during the first full month after coverage ends, your Medicare Part B coverage starts on the first day of the month you enroll. You also can delay the start date for Medicare Part B coverage until the first day of any of the following 3 months.
If you enroll during any of the 7 remaining months of the Special Enrollment Period, your Medicare Part B coverage begins the month after you enroll.
Remember: If you do not enroll in Medicare Part B during your Special Enrollment Period, you’ll have to wait until the next General Enrollment Period, which is January 1 through March 31 of each year. You may then have to pay a higher Medicare Part B premium because you could have had Medicare Part B and did not take it. Call the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 for more information or to enroll in Medicare. You can visit the Social Security web site .
Also . . .
I want to add Part B to my Medicare. When can I do that?
You can sign up for Medicare Part B:
1) When you first enroll in Medicare (your Initial Enrollment Period). Your Initial Enrollment Period starts 3 months before you turn age 65 and lasts for 7 months.
2) January 1 – March 31 of each year (your General Enrollment Period). If you enroll in Part B during a General Enrollment Period, it will be effective July 1 of the year in which you apply. Your Medicare Part B premium may go up 10 percent for each 12 month period that you could have had Medicare Part B, but did not take it.
3) If you didn’t take Medicare Part B when you were first eligible because you or your spouse were working and had group health plan coverage through your or your spouse’s employer or union, you can sign up for Medicare Part B during a Special Enrollment Period.
You can sign up:
- anytime you are still covered by the employer or union group health plan through your or your spouse’s current or active employment, or
- during the 8 months following the month the employer or union group health plan coverage ends, or
- when the employment ends (whichever is first).
You should contact the Social Security Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to add Medicare Part B. For more information on enrolling in Medicare, see our FAQ: How do I enroll in Medicare? For more information on delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B if you or your spouse is still working, see our FAQ: Can I delay my Medicare Part B enrollment without paying higher premiums? For more information on how delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B could result in paying higher Part B premiums, see our FAQ: What if I’m over 65 and didn’t enroll in Part B during my Initial Enroll Period?
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