How do I get started on Medicare?

Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older. You are first eligible to sign up for Medicare three months prior to turning 65. You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease). Medicare coverage starts based on when you sign up and which sign-up period you’re in.

Generally, you can apply for Medicare when you turn 65. This is called your Initial Enrollment Period. It lasts for 7 months, starting 3 months before you turn 65, and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. If you miss your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, you may have to wait to sign up and pay a monthly late enrollment penalty for as long as you have Part B coverage. The penalty goes up the longer you wait. You may also have to pay a penalty if you have to pay a Part A premium, also called “Premium-Part A.” 

The date your coverage starts depends on which month you sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period. Coverage always starts on the first of the month.

If you qualify for Premium-free Part A: Your Part A coverage starts the month you turn 65. (If your birthday is on the first of the month, coverage starts the month before you turn 65.)

You can sign up for Part A any time after you turn 65. Your Part A coverage starts 6 months back from when you sign up or when you apply for benefits from Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board). Coverage can’t start earlier than the month you turned 65. After your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you can only sign up for Part B and Premium-Part A during one of the other enrollment periods.

You can sign up between January 1-March 31 each year. This is called the General Enrollment Period. Your coverage starts the month after you sign up. You might pay a monthly late enrollment penalty, if you don’t qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

After your first chance to sign up (Initial Enrollment Period), there are certain situations when you can sign up for Part B (and Premium-Part A) without paying a late enrollment penalty. A Special Enrollment Period is only available for a limited time. If you don’t sign up during your Special Enrollment Period, you’ll have to wait for the next General Enrollment Period and you might have to pay a monthly late enrollment penalty.