The Medicare program has rules regarding enrollment periods that apply to all citizens who are eligible to receive its benefits. If you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B, you can choose to drop Part B if you think you do not need the coverage and do not want to pay the premiums. However, if you decide to enroll later on, you might need to pay a late penalty.
Medicare Part B
If you receive Social Security benefits, such as disability or retirement, you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B when you turn 65 years of age. However, while Part A coverage is free, you have to pay monthly premiums to keep Part B. For this reason, Part B enrollment is voluntary, and you can drop its coverage if you desire to do so. If you are not automatically enrolled in Part B because you are not receiving Social Security benefits yet, you can choose whether or not to enroll in Part B.
Initial Enrollment Period
If you are not automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B when you turn 65, you can contact the Social Security office to sign up. You can only do so in the initial enrollment period, which is when you turn 65. You have seven months, including your birth month, to enroll in Part B (from three months before to three months after your 65th birthday). This is when you are eligible to receive Medicare coverage. If you choose not to sign up for Part B during this period but you choose to do so later on, your monthly premiums will include a late penalty.
Special Enrollment Period Conditions
Medicare has some special rules regarding delayed enrollment in Part B that fall under the "special enrollment period." During the special enrollment period, you can enroll in Medicare Part B under certain conditions if you did not enroll in Medicare when you were first eligible. If you enroll in Part B during the special enrollment period, you will not be charged a monthly penalty with your premiums. You are eligible for delayed enrollment in Part B only if the reason why you did not sign up, when you were first eligible, is that you had coverage under a group or employer insurance plan at that time.
Special Enrollment Period
If you had group or employer insurance at the time you became eligible to enroll in Medicare Part B, you do not need to pay a late penalty for enrolling in Part B when this coverage ends. However, you also have a limited amount of time to do so. The special enrollment period only lasts for the time you have other accredited coverage, up to eight months after the month in which your group coverage ended. If you miss this period to enroll and you enroll later, you will pay the late penalty. If you have End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), you are not eligible for the special enrollment period.
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