Turning 65: A Step-by-Step Medicare Roadmap

Six months before: get oriented

• Learn the four parts of Medicare and the two main paths. Our Medicare Basics article is a ten-minute start.
• Find out whether you will be enrolled automatically. If you are already receiving Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits, you will be. If not, you will need to apply.
• If you or your spouse are still working with employer coverage, ask the benefits administrator how that coverage works with Medicare and whether it is creditable for Part D.
• Write down every doctor you see, every prescription you take with its dose, and the pharmacy you use. You will need this list.

Three months before: your window opens

Your Initial Enrollment Period begins the first day of the month three months before your birthday month. Signing up during these three months means your coverage starts on the first day of your birthday month, with no gap.

• If you are not auto-enrolled, apply for Parts A and B through Social Security online, by phone, or in person.
• Decide whether to take Part B now or delay it because of active employer coverage. Get that decision confirmed, not assumed.
• Choose your path: Original Medicare with a standalone Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. Compare using your doctor and medication list.
• Enroll in the Advantage or Part D plan you chose. These are separate steps from signing up for Parts A and B.

Your birthday month

If you enrolled early, your Medicare coverage is now active. If you enroll during your birthday month or the three months after, coverage starts the first of the following month, so there may be a short gap. If your birthday is on the first of the month, everything above moves one month earlier.

• Check that your red, white, and blue Medicare card arrived and that the effective dates are right.
• Create an account at Medicare.gov to track claims and coverage.
• Tell your doctors' offices and pharmacy that you now have Medicare, and give them your plan card if you joined an Advantage or Part D plan.

Three months after: your window closes

The last day of the third month after your birthday month is the end of your Initial Enrollment Period. After that, enrolling in Part B generally means waiting for the General Enrollment Period and possibly paying a lifelong penalty, unless a Special Enrollment Period applies. If anything is still undecided, decide it before this date.

Every year after

Medicare is not a one-time decision. Each fall, read your plan's Annual Notice of Change and review your coverage between October 15 and December 7. Plans change, health changes, and the right fit this year may not be the right fit next year.

If you would rather not do this alone, we help people through every step of this timeline at no cost, from the first Social Security application through the yearly review. Call us or schedule a time that works for you.