When to sign up for Medicare
Medicare gives you a 7-month window to enroll when you are aging into Medicare, turning 65. Three (3) months before your birth month, your birth month, and three (3) months after your birth month. Use the following chart to see your window.
| 3 Months Before | Birth Month | 3 Months After |
| October, November, December |
January |
February, March, April |
|
November, December, January |
February |
March, April, May |
| December, January, February | March | April, May, June |
| January, February, March | April | May, June, July |
| February, March, April | May | June, July, August |
|
March, April, May |
June | July, August, September |
| April, May, June | July | August, September, October |
| May, June, July | August | September, October, November |
| June, July, August | September | October, November, December |
| July, August, September | October |
November, December, January |
| August, September, October | November | December, January, February |
| September, October, November | December | January, February, March |
The following chart shows when your Medicare becomes effective:
| If you enroll in this month of your initial enrollment period | Then your Part B Medicare coverage starts |
|
One to three months before you reach age 65 The month you reach age 65 |
The month you reach age 65 One month after the month you reach age 65 |
| One month after you reach age 65 | Two months after the month of enrollment |
| Two or three months after you reach age 65 | Three months after the month of enrollment |
So if your birthday is in December and you wait until February or March to enroll, your Medicare effective date won’t be until June 1st.