when can you apply for medicare

You can generally apply for Medicare during a few specific windows, with the main one starting around your 65th birthday.

Key time frames

• Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)
  • This is a 7‑month window that starts 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and ends 3 months after that month.

* Example: If you turn 65 in July, you can apply from April 1 through October 31.

• If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period
  • You may be able to use a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) if you (or your spouse) are still working and covered by certain employer group health plans; this can let you delay Part B without a penalty and sign up later, typically for up to 8 months after work or coverage ends.

* If you do not qualify for an SEP, you can sign up in the **General Enrollment Period** from January 1 to March 31 each year, though coverage may start later and you could face late penalties.

• Automatic enrollment situations
  • If you are already getting Social Security benefits when you turn 65, you are usually enrolled automatically in Medicare Part A and Part B starting the month you turn 65, so you do not have to apply separately.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.