These days, many people continue to work well beyond the age of 65 – the age when most people become eligible for Medicare. If you are actively working at age 65 and have credible health coverage through your employer, you do not need to enroll in Medicare Part B. Moreover, if your spouse is working and you have credible health coverage through your spouse’s employer, you do not need to pick up Medicare Part B.
Although you are not required to enroll in Medicare Part B if your employer offers credible health coverage, you may want to consider enrolling in Medicare Part A (which is premium-free for most people and helps with the cost of hospital insurance). It is always a good idea to talk with your company’s benefits administrator (or your spouse’s employer, if that’s where you get your coverage) to find out whether your current coverage will change in any way if you enroll in Medicare, even if just Part A. This information will help you decide whether to keep your current health plan or switch to a Medicare plan.
If you waited to enroll in Medicare Part B because you or your spouse were working and had group health coverage through an employer, you can enroll during what’s called a ‘Special Enrollment Period’. This is the 8-month period when you can sign up for Medicare Part B that begins the month after the employer group health plan coverage ends, or when the employment ends (whichever is first).
For more information about Medicare, contact us at (941) 405 – 3900.
