Your Initial Enrollment Period, or IEP, surrounds your 65th birthday. You can enroll in Medicare during the 3 months leading up to the month you turn 65, during your 65th birthday month, or at any point during the three months following your 65th birthday month. For example, if you’re born on October 15th, your IEP would start July 1st and last through January 31st. To complicate things, if you’re born on the first of the month the whole IEP shifts one month earlier. If you miss enrolling in Medicare during this window you may face penalties in the form of increased premiums and your opportunities to enroll will be limited.
Starting with Original Medicare, you can enroll in Part A any time during or after your IEP. If you enroll during your IEP, your coverage will be active the 1st of your 65th birthday month. If you enroll anytime after your IEP, your Part A coverage will be retroactively started 6 months before your application date (but not before your 65th birthday).
Continuing with Original Medicare, you can enroll in Part B any time during your IEP. If you enroll before your birth month, your coverage will start the 1st of your birthday month. If you enroll during your IEP but after your birthday month begins, your Part B coverage will begin the 1st of the month after application. If you do not enroll in Part B during this window, you may be subject to a penalty in the form of an increased premium (there are exceptions to this, more on this later!)
You can enroll in an Advantage plan anytime during your IEP. Remember that you must be enrolled in Part A and Part B to enroll in an Advantage plan. If you enroll in your Advantage plan before your 65th birthday month, it will begin the 1st of your birthday month along with Part A and Part B. If you enroll during your IEP during or after you birthday month, the coverage will begin the 1st of the next month. If you don’t enroll during your IEP, you’ll have to wait until the Open Enrollment period which takes place Oct 15-Dec 7th.
As for Supplement plans, you have until 6 months following your Part B start date to apply. If you apply before your 65th birthday month, your Part A, Part B, and Supplement will start the 1st of your birthday month. If you apply after your Part B coverage begins, your coverage will begin the 1st of the month following application. I’m starting to sound like a broken record. Importantly, if you don’t purchase a plan during this window you may be denied if you try to apply in the future.
You can also enroll in a Drug plan during your IEP, and it follows the same start date conventions of the other Parts. You can also switch drug plan every year during Open Enrollment from October 15 – Dec 7.
If you miss your IEP, you can enroll in premium-free Part A at anytime, but you’ll have to wait until the General Enrollment Period to enroll in Part B. This takes place from Jan 1 – March 31 and late enrollment penalties will likely apply. Your coverage would begin the 1st of the month following application.
Whew, those are the basics of enrollment periods. It’s important to plan ahead for Medicare enrollment windows so that your coverage lines up with any other coverage end dates and to avoid late enrollment penalties. Of course, your individual scenario may require that we strategize when to enroll in each part, and we’re happy to help with that! That’s it on our Medicare 101 series, we hope it’s been helpful, but we understand that Medicare can feel overwhelming. So if you need help, give us a call!
