Medicare Enrollment Timeline Planner
Know your Medicare deadlines—month by month. Get a personalized enrollment timeline based on your birthday and work situation.
Understanding Your Medicare Enrollment Timeline
Turning 65 is one of the most important moments in your healthcare journey. It's when you become eligible for Medicare—but the enrollment process can be confusing. Our Medicare Enrollment Timeline Planner answers these questions with a personalized, month-by-month plan.
Initial Enrollment Period
A 7-month window centered around your 65th birthday. Your primary opportunity to enroll without penalties.
Late Enrollment Penalties
Missing your enrollment window can result in penalties that last for life. Don't wait!
Still Working?
If you have employer coverage, you may be able to delay enrollment without penalty.
What is the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP)?
Your Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month window centered around your 65th birthday. It includes the 3 months before your birthday month, your birthday month itself, and the 3 months after. This is your primary opportunity to enroll in Medicare Parts A and B without penalties.
What Happens If You Miss Your IEP?
If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period and don't have qualifying coverage (like employer insurance), you may have to wait for the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31 each year), and your coverage won't start until July 1. You may also face late enrollment penalties that can last for life.
Important: Late enrollment penalties can add 10% to your Part B premium for each 12-month period you could have enrolled but didn't. These penalties are permanent.
What If You're Still Working at 65?
If you're covered by employer health insurance through a company with 20 or more employees, you can delay enrolling in Part B without penalty. Once your employment or coverage ends, you'll have an 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sign up for Medicare?
You should typically sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period, which starts 3 months before the month you turn 65. For example, if your birthday is in June, your IEP starts in March.
What is the Part B late enrollment penalty?
If you don't sign up for Part B when first eligible and don't have qualifying coverage, you may pay a penalty of 10% of the premium for each 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't. This penalty lasts as long as you have Medicare.
I was born on the 1st of the month. Does that matter?
Yes! Medicare has a special rule: if you're born on the 1st of any month, you're treated as turning 65 the month before. This shifts your enrollment window earlier by one month.