If you don't sign up for Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) during your Initial Election Coverage Period*, a 10% penalty may be added to the Part B premium for each 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn’t take it, unless you qualify for the Part B Special Enrollment Period. The late enrollment penalty continues for as long as you have Part B.
*Your Initial Election Coverage Period is the seven-month "window" around your 65th birthday. It includes the three months before your birth month, your birth month, and the three months after your birth month.
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If you’re covered under a group health plan based on current employment (yours or your spouse’s), you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. You can sign up for Part A and/or Part B:
- Any time you have current employer insurance (COBRA and retiree insurance don’t count as current employer insurance); or
- During the eight-month period that begins the month after employment or your group coverage ends, whichever comes first.
For more information on the Medicare Part B late enrollment penalty and/or Medicare Enrollment Periods, you can contact Medicare directly by calling 1-800-MEDICARE (800-633-4227), TTY: 877-486-2048 (24 hours a day/seven days a week) or visit medicare.gov.
Or, you can also speak with a licensed ConnectiCare representative. Find numbers and hours of service.
