If you’re 65 or older, you are first eligible to sign up for Medicare* during your Initial Enrollment Period - the three months before the month of your 65th birthday, your birth month, and the three months after.
Failing to sign up for Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period may result in late-enrollment penalties.
- Some of these penalties can apply for the life of your Medicare coverage
- Each component of Medicare (Part A, Part B and Part D) has its own penalty calculation
Enroll during your Initial Enrollment Period and consider an all-in-one Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage that gives you access to your Sutter doctor.
Learn more about Medicare Late Enrollment Penalties.
*You may qualify for Medicare before the age of 65 if you met certain criteria. Contact your local Social Security office or visit SSA.gov for more information on signing up for Medicare before age 65.
Retiring?
As you approach retirement, make sure you understand the late enrollment penalties you may incur if you don’t sign up for Medicare on time. Even if you’ll have other coverage available to you after you retire, you will still need to make some Medicare enrollment decisions before you stop working and may still need to enroll in Medicare. You have eight months to sign up for Medicare once you stop working or your employer coverage ends (whichever happens first).