Your timing
Start with your enrollment window.
Getting started
Turning 65: Getting Started with Medicare
A simple start to Medicare. One step at a time.
At a glance
Start with these three things.
Your coverage
Check what happens automatically.
Your life
Bring your doctors, prescriptions, and priorities.
Timing
Your first window, made visible.
−3Months before
−2Months before
−1Months before
65Birthday month
+1Months after
+2Months after
+3Months after
For many people turning 65, initial enrollment spans these seven months. Your circumstances and enrollment date affect when coverage starts.
Your questions, unpacked
Turning 65: your questions, answered.
Start with your enrollment window
For many people, the first opportunity to enroll in Medicare is a seven-month period: the three months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the three months after. Special circumstances can change how these rules apply.
Check your own dates before choosing a coverage start date. Your current insurance and when you sign up both matter.
Check what happens automatically
Some people receive Medicare automatically because they are already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits. Others need to apply. Confirm your situation instead of assuming your birthday takes care of enrollment.
If you have coverage through current employment, speak with the benefits administrator before changing it.
Bring your life into the conversation
Your doctors, prescriptions, pharmacy, budget, and travel plans give a broker useful context. A thoughtful comparison begins with these details, then explains the coverage choices available to you.
Our checklist gives you a practical place to begin. You can prepare at your own pace.
Sources & further reading
Related guidance