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When can I join Medicare?

You turn age 65

• You can join Medicare Parts A and B during your Initial Enrollment Period.
• This is the seven-month window surrounding the month of your 65th birthday.

   

  Example:

  Someone with a July 17 birthday can join Medicare Parts A and B from April to October.

Birthday:  July 17

Enrollment Period

Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

If you join during:	3 months before birthday month	Birthday month	3 months after birthday month
Medicare starts:	July 1	Aug 1	Oct 1	Dec 1	Jan 1

 

Are you age 65+ and outside the seven months around your birthday?

You can still join Medicare:

• Special Enrollment Period: This is for people who've been covered by insurance through a current job (or a spouse's current job). You have up to eight months after the job or the insurance ends.
• General Enrollment Period:  This occurs each year from Jan. 1 - March 31. Your coverage starts July 1, and you may have to pay a late-enrollment penalty.

Under age 65 and receive Social Security disability benefits?

• Social Security automatically enrolls you in Medicare Parts A and B.
  • Generally, this occurs on your 25th month of receiving Social Security Disability payments.
  • Some people with disabilities don't have to wait this long (i.e., people with End Stage Renal Disease - also called kidney failure, or people with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - also called Lou Gehrig's Disease.
• Medicare will let you know the effective date, and give you the option to defer Part B.

Updated 10/10/2011