When can I sign up for Medicare?

Most people sign up for both Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) when they’re first eligible (usually when they turn 65). Generally, there are risks to signing up later, like a gap in your coverage or having to pay a penalty. However, in some cases, it might make sense to sign up later.

If you miss an enrollment period, you might qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. Learn more about Special Enrollment Periods for Original Medicare.

Answer a few questions to find out

These questions don’t apply if you have End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

Do you have health insurance now?

Select the type of health insurance you have:

Insurance from my job or my spouse's job Insurance from my family member's job Only applies if you have a disability or ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease Veterans Affairs (VA), CHAMPVA, or TRICARE Medicaid Other insurance, including Marketplace

Are you or your spouse still working for the employer that provides your health insurance coverage?

Does the employer that provides your health insurance coverage have 20 or more employees?

Are you under 65?

Is your family member still working for the employer that provides your health insurance coverage?

Does the employer that provides your health insurance coverage have 100 or more employees?

Select which type of health insurance you have:

Do you have coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace ® ?

Have you or your spouse worked for at least 10 years, at jobs where you paid Medicare taxes?

Your answer

Sign up when you’re first eligible for:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Part B (Medical Insurance)

Generally, you’re first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65.

Avoid the penalty
If you don’t sign up when you’re first eligible, you’ll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B penalty?

What else do I need to know?

• Medicare can help cover your costs for health care, like hospital visits and doctors’ services.
• Most people don’t pay a premium for Part A, but you do pay a monthly premium for Part B.
  Get quick view of costs.
• If you can’t afford the monthly premium, there are programs to help lower your costs. Get details about cost saving programs.

What can I do next?

Your answer

Sign up: Within 8 months after you or your spouse stop working

• Most people don’t have to pay a premium for Part A (Hospital Insurance) . So, you may want to sign up for Part A when you turn 65, even if you or your spouse are still working.
• You’ll pay a monthly premium for Part B (Medical Insurance) , so you may want to wait to sign up for Part B.

What if I have a Health Savings Account (HSA)?

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverage
If you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment Period , you’ll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B penalty?

What else do I need to know?

• Your 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B starts when you stop working, even if you choose COBRA or other coverage that’s not Medicare.
• If you lose your job-based health coverage before you or your spouse stop working, you have 8 months to sign up.
• If you want Medicare coverage to start when your job-based health insurance ends, you need to sign up for Part B the month before you or your spouse plan to retire. Your coverage will start the month after Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board) gets your completed forms. You’ll need to fill out an extra form showing you had job-based health coverage while you or your spouse were working.
• If you want more coverage, you have a limited time to get it. Find timeframes to get more coverage.

What can I do next?

Your answer

Check with your state Medicaid program when you’re first eligible for:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Part B (Medical Insurance)

Generally, you’re first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after you turn 65.

• Your state will sign you up for Medicare (or if you need to sign up).
• Your Medicaid coverage will change after you’re eligible for Medicare.

What else do I need to know?

• Most people with Medicaid don’t pay a premium for Part A. In most cases, your state will pay your monthly Part B premiums while you have Medicaid.
• If you have to pay a premium for Part A, you can ask if your state will pay it for you. (Your state may ask you to contact Social Security to sign up for Part A.)
• Depending on the type of Medicaid you have, you may also qualify to get help paying your share of Medicare costs. Get details about cost saving programs.

What can I do next?

Your answer

Sign up: Within 8 months after you or your spouse stopped working

Your current coverage might not pay for health services if you don’t have both Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) .

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverage
If you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment Period , you’ll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B penalty?

What else do I need to know?

• Your 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B starts when you stop working, even if you choose COBRA or other coverage that’s not Medicare.
• If you sign up during this 8-month period, your Part B coverage will start the month after Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board) gets your completed forms. You’ll need to fill out an extra form showing you had job-based health coverage while you or your spouse were working.
• Your past employer may offer coverage that works with Medicare. Learn more if you worked past 65.
• If you want more coverage, you have a limited time to get it.
  Find timeframes to get more coverage.

What can I do next?

Your answer

Sign up when you’re first eligible for:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Part B (Medical Insurance)

Generally, you’re first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65.

Your current coverage might not pay for health services if you don’t have both Part A and Part B.

Avoid the penalty
If you don’t sign up when you turn 65, you’ll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B penalty?

What else do I need to know?

• Your past employer may offer coverage that works with Medicare. Learn more about retiree coverage.
• If you want more coverage, you have a limited time to get it. Find timeframes to get more coverage.

What can I do next?

Your answer

Check with the employer that provides your health insurance about signing up when you’re first eligible for:

• Part A (Hospital Insurance)
• Part B (Medical Insurance)

Generally, you’re first eligible to sign up for Part A and Part B starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65.

Because the company has less than 20 employees, your job-based coverage might not pay for health services if you don’t have both Part A and Part B.

What if I have a Health Savings Account (HSA)?

What else do I need to know?

• You can sign up anytime while you or your spouse are still working for that employer, or up to 8 months after you or your spouse stop working, or the job-based coverage ends, whichever happens first.
• Your coverage will start the month after Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board) gets your completed forms. You’ll need to fill out an extra form showing you had job-based health coverage while you or your spouse were working.
• If you want more coverage, you have a limited time to get it.
  Find timeframes to get more coverage.

Avoid the penalty & gap in coverage
If you miss this 8-month Special Enrollment Period , you’ll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty for as long as you have Part B. The penalty goes up the longer you wait to sign up. How much is the Part B penalty?