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Medicare Enrollment Rules

Medicare enrollment rules vary from person to person, since every individual's eligibility differs according to age and physical conditions. You can enroll during three basic periods of time: the initial enrollment period, the special enrollment period or the general enrollment period. The time at which you enroll depends upon your personal conditions and choices.

  1. Initial Enrollment Period

    • The initial enrollment period is when any person becomes eligible to enroll in Medicare. This varies from individual to individual since it is based on age. Your initial enrollment period starts when you are three months away from turning 65 years of age. You can enroll in Medicare any time during a period of seven months, which includes the month during which you turn 65, the three months before and the three months after. During this period, you can sign up for any Medicare coverage you want. People who already receive Social Security retirement benefits do not need to worry about signing up for Parts A and B since their coverage automatically starts when they reach their 65th birthday.

    Special Enrollment Period Rules

    • When you turn 65 years of age, if you do not join all Medicare plans that you are eligible to join (such as Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D), you can still enroll during the special enrollment period. To be eligible to sign up during this period, you must have group insurance coverage through your employer that is about to end (or has just ended), and the existence of this coverage should be the reason why you did not sign up during your initial enrollment period. The special enrollment period lasts up to eight months after your group insurance ends.

    General Enrollment Period Rules

    • Every year, Medicare has a general enrollment period in which Medicare members can switch or drop Medicare plans. You can also enroll in a Medicare plan during this period if you have not done so before. However, this means that you will probably have to pay a penalty for your late enrollment. This late penalty is applicable to Part A, Part B and Part D premiums. Part C does not charge you a late penalty. The general enrollment period starts every year on the first of January and lasts until March 31st.

    Late Enrollment Rules

    • If you sign up for Medicare coverage during the general enrollment period, you are required to pay a late penalty. (Late enrollment pertains only to Parts A, B and D.) For Part A, your premiums will increase by 10 percent. You must pay this penalty for twice the number of years that you could have joined a plan but did not. Part B premiums also increase by 10 percent. You pay these higher premiums for every year that you did not join Part B when you could have. As of 2011, Part D premiums increase by one percent or $32.34 times the number of months in which you did not join a Part D plan.

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