Medicare Enrollment Deadlines to Keep in Mind
If you’re 65 or older (or under 65 and have a disability or other qualifying condition), you’re eligible to receive health insurance through Medicare. Original Medicare, offered by the federal government, includes Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance). There are also two additional parts offered by private insurance companies like Tufts Health Plan:
- Part C – Medicare Advantage plans, which provide coverage not included in Parts A and B
- Part D – drug coverage
Unless you’re already receiving Social Security benefits, you will not be automatically enrolled in Original Medicare — and your exact enrollment period can vary based on several factors.
Here are the deadlines to be aware of to avoid gaps in your coverage and costly late-enrollment penalties.
If you’re retiring at 65
In this scenario, you have a seven-month window — called the Initial Enrollment Period — to sign up for Original Medicare (Part A and Part B). These seven months include:
- The 3 months before the month of your 65th birthday
- Your birthday month
- The 3 months after your 65th birthday month
When your coverage begins depends on when you sign up during your 7-month window:
| If you sign up... | Your coverage begins... |
| During the 3 months before your 65th birthday month | The first day of the month you turn 65 |
| The month you turn 65, or during the 3 months after | The first day of the next month |
Note: If your birthday falls on the 1st of the month, Medicare treats it as if your birthday took place in the previous month — for example, if your birthday is on June 1, Medicare considers May your birthday month.
See the penalties for enrolling late in Part A and Part B
If you’re 65 or older and still working
If you work past age 65 and receive health insurance coverage through your employer, you can wait to sign up for Original Medicare until you retire.
In this scenario, you have an 8-month window from the time your employment or insurance coverage ends (whichever happens first) — called a Special Enrollment Period — to sign up for Original Medicare.
If you’re 65 or older and receiving health insurance through your spouse
If you get health insurance through your spouse’s employer, you do not need to sign up for Original Medicare when you turn 65 or retire. You can wait to enroll for up to 8 months after your spouse’s employment or insurance coverage ends (whichever happens first), through what’s called a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
Important reminder: You are not automatically enrolled in Original Medicare if your spouse enrolls. You each must enroll individually.
Adding Part C and Part D
Many people discover that relying on Original Medicare doesn’t provide enough coverage and choose to sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C) and prescription drug coverage (Part D), both of which are offered by private insurance companies.
Medicare Advantage plans offer benefits that Original Medicare does not cover — including vision and hearing exams, preventive dental coverage, and a yearly out-of-pocket maximum for medical services. Plus, many include Part D, so you can get all your coverage in one plan.
The deadline to sign up for Part C and Part D is after you enroll in Original Medicare but before the end of your enrollment period.
See the penalty for enrolling late in Part D
Other Scenarios
If you move, lose your current coverage, or experience another qualifying event, you’re eligible for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). An SEP allows you to make changes to your Medicare Advantage plan and Medicare prescription drug coverage. (The types of changes and when you can make them vary by SEP.)
View a list of these scenarios on Medicare.gov
Don’t miss another Medicare deadline
Tufts Health Plan is the only plan in Massachusetts rated 5 out of 5 Stars for eight years in a row, 2016-2023, by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.* That's because we know nothing is more important than your health.
Our Medicare Experts are local and ready to help. We’ll help find the right plan for you and ensure you understand your enrollment deadline.
Call 1-844-455-3303 (TTY: 711) to chat with us, or click the button below for other simple ways to enroll:
Ways to enroll
*Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Visit www.medicare.gov for more information. Tufts Health Plan Medicare Advantage (HMO) plans received 5 out of 5 Stars for contract years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.