Your IEP is the three months before your 65th birthday month, the month itself, and the three months after. Choose your birthday to see your dates.
Sign up in the first 3 months and coverage starts .
Your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment starts when Part B begins.
Missing this window without other coverage can mean a lifelong Part B penalty.
This tool gives general guidance. Special situations, such as employer coverage or disability, can change your dates. We are happy to confirm yours.
02
Your month-by-month checklist
Print it, stick it on the fridge, and tick things off as you go.
6 months before
Gather the facts
Ask HR if your employer coverage is creditable and how many employees the company has
Create a my Social Security account
List your doctors and prescriptions with doses
Stop HSA contributions if you plan to enroll in Part A
3 months before
Your window opens
Apply for Parts A and B if you are not collecting Social Security
Book a free plan comparison with an advisor
Compare Medigap plus Part D against Medicare Advantage
Birthday month
Coverage begins
Watch for your Medicare card and plan ID cards
Give your pharmacy the new card before your next refill
Keep employer coverage until Medicare is confirmed in writing
Within 12 months
Settle in
Book your free Welcome to Medicare preventive visit
Save every plan letter in one folder
Mark October 1 for your first annual review
03
Still working, or leaving a job soon?
This is where most turning-65 mistakes happen. The rules depend on your employer's size and the kind of coverage you have, not on how good that coverage feels.
20 or more employees
Creditable. You can usually delay Part B with no penalty, and your group plan pays first.
Fewer than 20 employees
Medicare usually pays first, so enroll in Parts A and B on time or your claims may be denied.
COBRA or a retiree plan
Not creditable for delaying Part B. Enroll during your IEP even if the coverage looks generous.
If your employer has 20 or more employees and you have group coverage through active work, you can usually delay Part B without a penalty. Many people still take premium-free Part A. When you leave that job, you get an 8-month Special Enrollment Period.
Only if you already receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits at least 4 months before turning 65. Otherwise you need to apply through Social Security.
If you delay Part B without creditable coverage, your premium increases 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B, for as long as you have it.
Yes. Medicare treats you as turning 65 the day before your birthday, so your enrollment window and coverage start one month earlier. Tick the box in the calculator above.
Each person enrolls based on their own 65th birthday. A younger spouse can stay on employer or marketplace coverage until they qualify.
Turning 65 soon? Let us plan it
A licensed Sagebrook advisor will compare the plans we offer against your doctors and prescriptions. No cost, no pressure.
