When can I sign up for Medicare?

Select the type of health insurance you have:

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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?

Why we ask this question

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?

Why we ask this question

Select which type of health insurance you have:

Do you have coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace^®?

What's the Marketplace

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

I'm not sure if I paid Medicare taxes.

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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?

Start Over

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?

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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.

Find out if:

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?

Start Over

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) .

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?

Start Over

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?

Start Over

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.

What can I do next?

Start Over

Your answer:

Sign up: Within 8 months after your family member 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) .
If you have Medicare due to a disability or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease), you’ll already have Part A 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 until you turn 65. 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?

If you sign up during this 8-month Special Enrollment 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 coverage while your family member was working.
If you want more coverage, you have a limited time to get it. Find timeframe to get more coverage.

What can I do next?

Start Over

Your answer:

Sign up: Within 8 months after your family member stops working

If you have Medicare due to a disability or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease), you’ll already have Part A (Hospital Insurance) .
You’ll pay a monthly premium for Part B (Medical Insurance) , so you may want to wait to sign up for Part B.

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 until you turn 65. 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?

If you lose your job-based health coverage before your family member stops working, you have 8 months to sign up for Part B.
Consider signing up for Part B the month before your family member leaves their job. 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 coverage while your family member was 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?

Start Over

Your answer:

Sign up when you’re first eligible for:

Part B (Medical Insurance)

If you have Medicare due to a disability or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease), you’ll already have Part A (Hospital Insurance) .

You’re first eligible for Medicare:

After you’ve been getting disability benefits for 24 months
As soon as you start getting disability benefits, if you have ALS

Avoid the penalty
If you don’t sign up for Part B when you first get Medicare, you’ll have to wait to sign up and go months without coverage. You might also pay a monthly penalty until you turn 65. 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?

If you can’t afford the monthly premium, there are programs to help lower your costs. Get details about cost saving programs.
If you want more coverage, you have a limited time to get it. Find timeframes to get more coverage.

What can I do next?

Start Over

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. (You may be eligible for Medicare earlier, if you get disability benefits from Social Security or the Railroad Retirement Board.)

Avoid the penalty
If you don’t sign up for Part B when you’re first eligible, you might have to wait to sign up and go months without Part B 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?

You’re not eligible to sign up for Medicare anytime if you can’t get VA services when you need them, and you might have to wait to sign up. See how Medicare works with VA coverage.
If you also have another type of health insurance now, use that answer to decide when to sign up for Medicare.

What can I do next?

Get details about CHAMPVA coverage.

Start Over

Your answer:

Sign up when you’re first eligible for:

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

You need to sign up for both Part A and Part B to keep your CHAMPVA coverage.

Generally, you’re first eligible 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 for Part B when you’re first eligible, you might 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 can I do next?

Get details about TRICARE coverage.

Start Over

Your answer:

Sign up when you’re first eligible for:

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

You need to sign up for both Part A and Part B to keep your TRICARE coverage.

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.

What can I do next?

Get details about TRICARE coverage.

Start Over

Your answer:

Sign up: Within 8 months after the active duty service member retires

Most people don’t have to pay a premium for Part A (Hospital Insurance) . So, you might want to sign up for Part A when you turn 65, even if the active duty service member is still working.
You’ll pay a monthly premium for Part B (Medical Insurance) , so you might want to wait to sign up for Part B.

What else do I need to know?

Before the active duty service member retires, you must sign up for both Part A and Part B to keep your TRICARE without a break in coverage.
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 TRICARE coverage while the service member was in active duty.

What can I do next?

Start Over

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.

What else do I need to know?

You’re not eligible to sign up anytime if your current coverage ends.
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.

What can I do next?

Start Over

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.

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

What else do I need to know?

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.
Once you’re eligible to sign up for Part A:
- Your Marketplace plan may not renew your coverage at the end of the year. This means you and your family could have a gap in your coverage starting January 1 of next year. Learn more about Medicare and the Marketplace.
- You won’t qualify for help from the Marketplace to pay your Marketplace premiums or other costs. If you keep getting help to pay your Marketplace premiums after you’re eligible for Part A, you may have to pay back all or part of the help you got when you file your federal income taxes. Update your Marketplace coverage.

What can I do next?

Start Over

Your answer:

Getting Medicare is your choice. If you want Medicare, sign up when you’re first eligible for:

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

Because you may have to pay a premium for Part A, you can choose to stay with your Marketplace coverage or sign up for Medicare. Compare your options to see which one is better for you. Get quick view of Medicare costs.

What else do I need to know?

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.
If you sign up for Medicare, stop your Marketplace coverage so it ends when your Medicare coverage starts. See how to change from Marketplace to Medicare.
If you can’t afford the monthly premiums, there are programs to help lower the costs. Get details about cost saving programs.

Avoid the penalty if you choose Medicare
If you don’t sign up when you’re first eligible, you might have to wait to sign up. You might also have to pay monthly late enrollment penalties. How much are the penalties?

What can I do next?