Turning 65: Your Medicare Checklist

Work out your enrollment window

Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months. A typical example: if you turn 65 in March, your window usually runs from December of the year before through the end of June. People born on the 1st of the month may have a window that starts one month earlier.

If you need Part B as soon as you turn 65, sign up in the 3 months before your birthday month. The exact start date of each part can differ, so ask Social Security.

Automatic or sign up yourself

If you have received Social Security (or Railroad Retirement) benefits for at least 4 months before you turn 65, you get Part A and Part B automatically. Your Medicare card arrives in the mail about 3 months before your coverage starts.

If you do not yet receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you need to sign up yourself: online at ssa.gov, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or at your local Social Security office.

Still working after 65

If you or your spouse are still working and have health coverage through the employer, you may not need Part B right away. That depends on the size of the employer and how the employer plan works with Medicare, so ask human resources before delaying Part B. According to Medicare.gov, once you stop working or lose the employer coverage (whichever comes first), you have an 8 month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B.

Medicare.gov warns that COBRA does not extend your time to sign up for Medicare, so do not wait for COBRA to end before signing up for Part B. If you have retiree coverage from a former employer, ask before joining another Medicare plan, because you could lose the retiree coverage.

Medicare costs in 2026

According to Medicare.gov, the standard Part B premium in 2026 is $202.90 a month. The 2026 Part B deductible is $283, the amount you pay each year before Medicare starts to pay. People with higher incomes pay a higher Part B premium.

Late penalties: Part B and Part D

Part B: if you sign up late without a Special Enrollment Period, your Part B premium can go up 10% for each full 12 months you could have signed up but did not. People in a Medicare Savings Program are usually exempt from this penalty.

Part D (drugs): if after your first enrollment window you go 63 days or more in a row without creditable drug coverage, you may pay a penalty of 1% of the national base premium for each month without drug coverage.

If your income is limited: help paying

Medicare Savings Programs can help pay the Part B premium for people who qualify. People with limited income may also qualify for Medi-Cal. Ask your county social services office or visit BenefitsCal.

Extra Help lowers Part D drug costs. According to Medicare.gov, you get Extra Help automatically if you have full Medi-Cal, a Medicare Savings Program, or SSI. Otherwise you can apply through Social Security.

Choosing how to get your Medicare

There are two main ways: Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), which you can pair with a Part D drug plan; or a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan offered by a private company approved by Medicare.

Before choosing, list your doctors, hospitals, and medicines, then check which plans include your doctors and cover your medicines. There is no single right choice for everyone. California's HICAP program offers free Medicare counseling at 1-800-434-0222.

I already get Social Security. Do I need to do anything?

If you have received Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits for at least 4 months before you turn 65, you get Part A and Part B automatically, and your card arrives about 3 months before coverage starts. You should still choose how to get your benefits and your drug coverage.

I am still working. Do I need Part B right away?

Maybe not, depending on the coverage from your or your spouse's current employer. Ask human resources before delaying. According to Medicare.gov, once you stop working or lose the employer coverage, you have 8 months to sign up for Part B.

How much is the late penalty?

Part B can add 10% for each full 12 months you were late (people in a Medicare Savings Program are usually exempt). Part D can add 1% of the national base premium for each month you went without creditable drug coverage for 63 days or more. The penalty usually lasts as long as you have that coverage.

My income is low. Can anyone help pay?

Possibly. Medicare Savings Programs can help pay the Part B premium, Extra Help lowers drug costs, and people with limited income may qualify for Medi-Cal. According to Medicare.gov, people with full Medi-Cal, a Medicare Savings Program, or SSI get Extra Help automatically.

Is QualitySpace part of Medicare?

No. QualitySpace Insurance Agency is a private insurance agency in Westminster. It is not a government office and is not connected with Medi-Cal, CalOptima Health, or the federal Medicare program. To sign up for Medicare, contact Social Security.