Do I Have to Sign Up for Medicare if I Don’t Retire at 65?
March 31, 2020 | Kari Mellone
One question we are asked consistently is, “What do I have to do if I will continue working past my 65th birthday?” For many Americans, they’re not ready or able to retire at 65 and want to continue with their current health insurance coverage before signing up for Medicare.
Good news: You can still enroll in Medicare at a later time if you are currently employed when you turn 65.
However, there are a few steps you should take to make sure you’ll have coverage in the short term and not have to pay more in the long term.
Step 1: Maintain creditable employer or spousal plan coverage
The term ‘creditable’ is a fancy word used by the health insurance world. Creditable means that the drug portion of your health plan is as good as original Medicare.
There are 3 places you can verify if your coverage is creditable:
1.) The human resources professional at your current employer
2.) Call the customer service number on the backside of your current health insurance card
3.) Check the Evidence of Coverage (EOC) for language around “creditable coverage” or “as good as original Medicare”
If your plan is creditable, you can delay signing up for Medicare. When you retire, you’ll have a special enrollment period to sign up for Medicare without a penalty.
Once you have verified that your plan is creditable, you do not need to report this to anyone. However, we suggest you maintain a paper copy stating this, in case you have to verify this again in the future. COBRA and MNSure plans are examples of plans that ARE NOT creditable once you turn 65. VA & IHS coverage is considered creditable.
If you stay enrolled in an employer health plan that is not creditable, you will incur a penalty from Medicare in the future. In that case, you will need to at least sign up for a Medicare Part A & D plan.
Step 2: Narrow down your retirement month
Knowing the month that you will enter the “goof off stage” of your life will help lower your stress level as you check off a number of important tasks. We suggest clients to clarify one major question surrounding their health insurance plan: “If I retire, what date does my current health plan terminate?” Knowing the answer to this will help you determine three things:
1. When your Medicare Part B date needs to start. If your plan terminates immediately or in the middle of the month, you will want your Medicare Part B to go into effect the 1st day of that same month to ensure you will not have a lapse in coverage. If it ends at the end of the month, your Part B date should be the 1st day of the month following.
2. You can apply for Medicare online or in person. The in person appointment availability changes often, so call as soon as you can if you prefer that route. If you are comfortable applying online, you will need 2 forms filled out scanned to be able to be uploaded at teh time of the online application. Feel free to call our office to get those forms. One will need to be filled out by your current employer. Sometimes this process is highly delayed so we recommend starting the process two months before your intended Medicare Part B start date. This process can be done much quicker, so try not to panic if you do not have 2 months. Feel free to email or contact our office for more up to date information on this step. You can also download an e book on this topic.
3. Call for an appointment with Twin City Underwriters. We set 'Exploratory' appointments where our agents will discuss all of the steps to applying for A and or B benefits and start to describe the options (Medigap, Medicare Advantage, & Part D plans) available to you. We recommend setting this appointment anytime. There is no time 'too early' to start to learn. The earliest we can submit an application for additional insurance is the month before your Part B start date. Please contact us right away once you have determined your Part B start date. This is called a 'Medicare Appointment' and one of our agents will assist you in narrowing down your health options and determine what is most suitable for you based on your health and lifestyle needs.
Plan to retire on or before your 65th Birthday?
You will have a 7-month period to apply for Medicare surrounding your 65th birthday. This period is bookended by three months prior & three months after your 65th birthday. We suggest you apply during the first three months to lock in your Part A & B dates. Applying online at www.ssa.gov is a fairly easy process, but you can apply in person at a local Social Security office. Once you have applied, call us for an appointment at your earliest convenience.
If you are collecting social security before your 65th birthday, you will automatically be enrolled into Medicare and receive your Medicare card three to four months prior to your 65th birthday month. Once you have received your card in the mail, call us to setup an appointment. If the month before your birthday month, you haven't received your card, call Social Security.
This information and our experienced team will provide you a smooth transition as you plan on retiring. The health insurance plan you choose is a major variable in protecting the hard-earned money you have set aside your whole working life; we are confident that our SurePlan™ Medicare System will offer you peace of mind when making Medicare decisions. This system ensures that you have support, even outside of open and annual enrollment periods. We’re here for your no matter the time of year.
*This blog was revised on March 5, 2026.