When to sign up for Medicare

Your Initial Enrollment Period

If you're turning 65, your Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months. It starts 3 months before the month you turn 65 and ends 3 months after it.

Example: If you turn 65 in June, your Initial Enrollment Period runs from March 1 to September 30.

When your coverage starts

Medicare coverage always starts on the first day of a month. The start date depends on when you sign up:

If your birthday is on the 1st of the month, use the month before your birthday as "the month you turn 65." For example, if you turn 65 on July 1, coverage can start June 1.

Signing up early, in the 3 months before your birthday month, gives you the most time to plan around your Marketplace plan.

You may be signed up automatically

If you already get Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits at least 4 months before you turn 65, you'll usually get Part A and Part B automatically. Your Medicare card comes in the mail about 3 months before your birthday.

If you don't get those benefits yet, you need to sign up yourself. You can apply online at SSA.gov/medicare, or call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 (TTY 1-800-325-0778).

Part A: premium-free or paid

• Most people don't pay a monthly premium for Part A. You qualify for premium-free Part A if you or your spouse worked and paid Medicare taxes for about 10 years (40 quarters).
• If you worked less than that, you can buy Part A. In 2026, Part A costs $311 a month with 30 to 39 quarters of work, or $565 a month with fewer than 30 quarters. 2027 amounts have not been announced yet.

More Medicare topics

Medicare and Marketplace rules can change. Check Medicare.gov, SSA.gov or HealthCare.gov for the latest rules.

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