Eligibility for Medicare: Turning 65 and retiring
Congrats on retirement — and happy birthday! Here's what you need to get started.
If you’re ready to retire once you turn 65, your eligibility for Medicare occurs over a 7-month period known as the Initial Enrollment Period. This period begins 3 months before the month you turn 65 and lasts for 3 months after it. During this time, you can sign up for Medicare Part A and/or Part B (Original Medicare).
If you are retired and are signed up for Social Security benefits or Railroad Retirement Benefits, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B beginning the first day of the month in which you turn 65. If you have not yet received Social Security benefits, you should sign up for Medicare.
This is important: You may have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B when you first become eligible.
Learn when to get started with our personalized timeline tool below:
Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and HMO D-SNP plans are offered by Geisinger Health Plan/Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company/Geisinger Quality Options, Inc., health plans with a Medicare contract. Continued enrollment in Geisinger Gold depends on contract renewal. Geisinger Health Plan, Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company, and Geisinger Quality Options, Inc. are part of Geisinger, an integrated health care delivery and coverage organization. Risant Health is the parent organization of Geisinger.
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