How Part B timing works
Most people have a seven-month Initial Enrollment Period: the three months before the month you turn 65, that month, and the three months after. If you sign up before the month you turn 65, coverage starts that month; if you sign up later, it starts the month after you sign up.
- Coverage from current work, at an employer with 20 or more employees (yours or your spouse's) pays first, so you can delay Part B and use the eight-month Special Enrollment Period after the job or coverage ends.
- Fewer than 20 employees: Medicare generally pays first, so you usually need Part B at 65.
- COBRA, retiree coverage, Marketplace plans and VA care don't let you delay without a penalty. TRICARE requires Part B once you're eligible for Medicare, unless you or your spouse are on active duty.
If you miss your windows, the General Enrollment Period runs January 1 to March 31, and your premium may go up 10% for each full 12 months you could have had Part B, generally for as long as you have it. Joining an Oregon Medicare Savings Program removes the Part B penalty.
Oregon public employees and retirees
- Active PEBB or OEBB members have coverage from current work; if the employer has 20 or more employees, Part B can usually wait until you retire.
- PEBB and OEBB retirees lose that medical coverage when they become eligible for Medicare, so they need Part A and Part B. See PEBB and Medicare and OEBB and Medicare.
- PERS retirees need Part A and Part B for the RHIA premium subsidy and PHIP's Medicare plans. See retiring after 65 in Oregon.
More on working past 65, the Part B Special Enrollment Period and HSAs and Medicare.
Sources
- Medicare.gov — When does Medicare coverage start?
- Medicare.gov — How do I sign up for Medicare?
- Medicare.gov — Avoid late enrollment penalties
- Oregon Administrative Rules 101-050-0010 — PEBB retiree coverage
- Oregon Administrative Rules 111-050-0015 — OEBB early retiree coverage and Medicare
- Oregon Administrative Rules 459-035-0030 — PERS RHIA eligibility
- TRICARE — TRICARE For Life
Frequently asked questions
Can I delay Part B if I'm still working at 65?
Yes, if you or your spouse have group health coverage from current work at an employer with 20 or more employees (100 or more if you're under 65 and have Medicare because of a disability). You then have an eight-month Special Enrollment Period after the job or coverage ends, whichever comes first.
What happens to PEBB or OEBB retiree coverage when I get Medicare?
It ends. PEBB retiree coverage ends the last day of the month before the month you become eligible for Medicare, and OEBB medical and vision coverage ends the last day of the month before your Medicare effective date (unless you're eligible because of end-stage renal disease). Sign up for Part A and Part B so you don't have a gap.
Does COBRA let me delay Part B?
No. COBRA isn't coverage from current work. Your eight-month Special Enrollment Period starts when your job ends, not when COBRA ends, so sign up for Part B within those eight months.
How do I sign up for Part B?
Online at ssa.gov, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or at a Social Security office. If you're using a Special Enrollment Period, send Form CMS-40B with Form CMS-L564 completed by your employer, or other proof of your job-based coverage.
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