Frequently Asked Questions

Despite evidence of a widespread lack of knowledge about Medicare – and a high percentage of beneficiaries admitting that Medicare is confusing and difficult to understand – many of the same beneficiaries reported that after an explanation by a Medicare Expert, such as Rick Tabone, a high amount of confidence in their knowledge of Medicare terms, and their understanding of Medicare coverage options.

The best time to enroll is during the open enrollment window around your 65th birthday – preferably in the three months before the month you turn 65, so that you’ll have Medicare coverage by the time you turn 65. Your open enrollment window for Medicare Part A and Part B is seven months long, and includes the month you turn 65 as well as the three months prior to that month, and the three months after. EXAMPLE: If your birthday is April 22, your open enrollment window runs from the beginning of January to the end of July. If you enroll during the three-month window before the month you turn 65, your coverage will take effect on the first of the month that you turn 65. So for the example above, if you enroll during January, February, or March, Medicare coverage will be effective on April 1. Note that if your birthday is the first of the month, your coverage takes effect the first of the month before your birthday, as long as you enrolled prior to that. And your seven-month enrollment window will start one month earlier. So a person with a July 1 birthday will have an enrollment window that runs from March through September, and coverage will be effective June 1 as long as they enroll sometime in March, April, or May. But a person with a July 2 birthday will have an enrollment window that runs from April through October, with the earliest possible effective date of July 1.

If I sign up during the Initial Enrollment Period, do my benefits kick in right away? The Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) starts three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after you the month you turn 65 . This gives you seven months to sign up for Medicare without facing late penalties. That does not mean that your Medicare benefits will start at the same time as someone else. When you sign up in the first three months of your IEP, Medicare coverage starts the month you turn 65. When you sign up in your birth month, benefits start the next month. However, you have to wait two months for coverage when you sign up one month after your birthday. You could be without coverage for three months if you wait to sign up two or three months after you turn 65. For most people, this applies only to Part B since Part A premiums are free for people who worked 40 quarters (10 years) in Medicare-taxed employment. Even when you follow the rules and enroll during the IEP, you could face a significant gap in coverage. Thankfully, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has proposed a policy change to address this. This is based on the BENES Act that passed in late 2020. Starting on January 1, 2023, anyone signing up for Medicare in the last three months of their IEP will receive benefits the month after they enroll.

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