Turning 65: How to Apply for Medicare Part A & Part B
Turning 65 • Medicare enrollment guide
Apply with confidence. Know what comes next.
Start with Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). Then decide how to handle prescription drugs and the costs Original Medicare leaves to you.
Prepared with writing assistance for US Life Solution LLC. Official-source verification: October 21, 2026. Anil Khanchandani, CLTC®, is a licensed life and health insurance producer; SSA and Medicare make enrollment and eligibility decisions.
The two enrollment steps are separate. Apply for Part A/B through Social Security (or the Railroad Retirement Board). A private Medicare Advantage, Part D or Medigap application does not apply for your Part A/B benefits. SSA enrollment instructions.
1. Find your starting point
This planner covers the usual age-65 route. Disability, ALS, ESRD, residence outside the 50 states/DC, immigration or other special circumstances can change the rules. Use Medicare’s official sign-up tool for those situations.
Build my preparation plan
Use the month you turn 65. No full birth date, Social Security number, Medicare number or document upload is requested. This guide does not submit your selections.
Your usual age-65 enrollment window
The Initial Enrollment Period normally starts three months before your 65th birthday month and ends three months afterward. A first-of-month birthday moves the seven-month window one month earlier. Choose a month above to see calendar dates.
Still working? Verify medical coverage and drug coverage separately.
Ask the benefits administrator whether the plan is based on current employment, which coverage pays first at 65, and whether you need Parts A/B. With fewer than 20 employees, Medicare generally pays first; multi-employer and other exceptions can apply. An active-employment group plan may allow a Part B delay, but an employer plan’s payment rules still matter. CMS enrollment guidance.
After your Initial Enrollment Period, the usual employment-based Part B Special Enrollment Period lasts while qualifying current-employment coverage continues and for eight months after employment or that coverage ends, whichever ends first. COBRA, retiree and Marketplace coverage do not create that same protection. Do not wait eight months if that would leave you uninsured. Official SEP rules.
For Part D, ask for a written Notice of Creditable Prescription Drug Coverage and keep it. “Creditable” means drug coverage expected to pay, on average, at least as much as standard Medicare drug coverage. A notice about drugs does not prove you can delay Part B. A gap of 63 or more consecutive days without Part D or creditable drug coverage after your Part D Initial Enrollment Period can result in a penalty. CMS Part D rules.
HSA contributions need a separate timing check.
You cannot contribute to an HSA for months you are enrolled in Medicare; employer contributions count too. Premium-free Part A can be retroactive up to six months when you apply after 65, but not before your first eligibility month. Coordinate the last eligible contribution month with SSA, your employer and a tax professional before applying. Do not automatically assume everyone should stop exactly six months before turning 65. IRS Publication 969 and Medicare working-past-65 guidance.
2. Gather information, then check what SSA requests
Requirements vary. Medicare-only applicants should not assume every item in SSA’s combined Medicare/retirement/spouse checklist applies to them. SSA may already have proof from a previous claim.
Have these details ready
- Your legal name, Social Security number, date/place of birth and contact information.
- Start and end dates for current group health insurance and any group coverage after 65. Your HR team or insurer can provide these.
- For Part B-only enrollment: your existing Medicare number and a valid email address.
- Information about work history or a spouse if SSA needs it to establish premium-free Part A eligibility.
Documents SSA may request
- Original birth certificate, a copy certified by the issuing agency, or other accepted proof of age. Request a replacement through the issuing vital-records office.
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or lawful immigration status, if needed.
- Employment/insurance evidence for a job-based Special Enrollment Period.
For proof of age or status, SSA generally needs originals or issuing-agency-certified copies; ordinary photocopies or notarized copies are not substitutes. Ask SSA how to provide them safely. SSA document standards.
Open SSA’s combined application checklist (PDF). Some items there relate to retirement or spouse benefits, rather than Medicare alone. If a document is missing, contact SSA promptly about your deadline and options.
My readiness checklist
0 of 6 preparation tasks checked
Checks are a temporary preparation aid, not an application or proof of enrollment. Print to keep a copy; refreshing resets the checklist.
3. Apply for Part A and Part B through the correct agency
FIRST-TIME A/B APPLICATION
Not automatically enrolled?
- Start at SSA.gov/medicare/sign-up. You may apply for Medicare without starting Social Security retirement payments.
- Sign in to or create your personal my Social Security account using SSA’s official login options. Follow identity-verification prompts on that site.
- Select Medicare coverage, review your answers and submit to SSA. Save the confirmation or re-entry number and respond to any evidence request.
Prefer assistance? Call SSA at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778) to arrange help. Railroad workers should check with the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772.
ALREADY HAVE PART A
Applying for Part B only?
Use SSA’s Part B-only instructions. The online application route there covers ending a qualifying employer group plan. Other enrollment situations may require forms or SSA assistance.
- CMS-40B: application for Part B.
- CMS-L564: employment/coverage evidence for the employment-based SEP; the employer generally completes its section.
If the employer cannot complete the evidence, ask SSA about acceptable alternatives. For exceptional-condition SEPs, SSA may direct you to CMS-10797. Fax or mail forms only to the office SSA identifies.
After applying: Check SSA’s application status, your Medicare card and the Part A/B effective dates. For the usual age-65 Initial Enrollment Period, applying before the eligibility month generally lets Part B start in that month; applying during it or the following three months generally starts Part B the next month. A first-day birthday shifts the eligibility month earlier. SSA must confirm your actual dates. Coverage start rules.
4. Choose how to handle the remaining coverage
Part A/B enrollment does not automatically enroll you in a private drug plan, Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan. Compare doctors, prescriptions, pharmacies, total costs, travel needs and any existing employer/retiree benefits before choosing.
Original Medicare route
Part A + Part B, with a separate Part D drug plan if needed and optional Medigap or other supplemental coverage.
Medigap helps pay certain Original Medicare cost-sharing; it does not provide Part D. The federal six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period begins the first month you are 65 or older and have Part B. It is not the annual October–December enrollment period. State protections may add rights.
Medicare Advantage route
Part C is a private-plan alternative for Part A/B benefits. Most plans include Part D; additional dental, vision, hearing or fitness benefits may be available, with plan limits.
You must have Parts A and B and live in the plan’s service area. You generally keep paying the Part B premium. Check networks, prior authorization and out-of-pocket costs. Medigap cannot be used to pay Medicare Advantage cost-sharing.
Use Medicare Plan Compare or an appropriately licensed agent for private plan options. A valid plan enrollment period is required; check the official plan enrollment rules. Do not wait until the fall Annual Enrollment Period if your first eligibility or another enrollment window is now. Ask the current benefits administrator before replacing employer, retiree, VA or TRICARE-related coverage.
Related guides: working past 65 and delaying Parts B/D · IRMAA and higher-income premiums · Medicare enrollment periods.
Common turning-65 questions
Will I get Medicare automatically?
In the usual age-65 case, people receiving Social Security or RRB benefits at least four months before 65 generally get Part A/B automatically. Check the welcome package and card. Puerto Rico, foreign residence and other circumstances differ. If unsure, ask SSA or RRB rather than submitting a duplicate application.
Is October 15–December 7 when I first apply for Part A/B?
No. The fall Annual Enrollment Period concerns Medicare Advantage and Part D choices. Your age-65 Part A/B Initial Enrollment Period and the one-time federal Medigap Open Enrollment Period are different windows.
What if I missed my age-65 enrollment window?
Contact SSA to check for a Special Enrollment Period. If none applies, the General Enrollment Period runs January 1–March 31, with coverage generally starting the next month; late enrollment penalties may apply. Do not assume buying a private plan fixes a Part A/B enrollment gap.
Can Anil submit the government application for me?
This guide sends you to SSA/RRB for government enrollment. Anil can explain coverage choices and help you prepare questions, but does not issue your Medicare card or determine government eligibility. Never send a Social Security number, Medicare number or identity documents through a general website contact form or social-media message.
Questions about what to choose next?
Connect with Anil Khanchandani, CLTC®, licensed life and health insurance producer, US Life Solution LLC. Consultations are available in English, Hindi and Sindhi.
Medicare hub · Medicare 101 · Book a conversation
Booking or requesting a callback is not an application for coverage. Any required Scope of Appointment is separate.
Official sources and verification
- SSA: sign up and information to gather; Part B-only instructions and forms.
- SSA: documents it may request; combined application checklist (PDF).
- Medicare: automatic enrollment and application routes; enrollment windows and start dates.
- CMS: five enrollment facts and employer coverage; Medicare: working after 65.
- IRS Publication 969: HSA eligibility and Medicare enrollment.
- Medicare: coverage choices; Medigap open enrollment; CMS: Part D creditable coverage.
Educational preparation guide, not individualized tax, legal or medical advice. Rules and available plans can change. Not affiliated with or endorsed by SSA, CMS, Medicare or any government agency. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 0–78 organizations which offer 0–2,613 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. The exact carrier and plan counts are determined by your ZIP code and county.