Changes are coming next year for Medicare Part B coverage, the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced yesterday.
Starting January 1, 2023, Medicare Part B coverage starts the first day of the month after an enrollee signs up, if they sign up during the last three months of their Initial Enrollment Period (IEP).
Before this change, if someone signed up during the last three months of their IEP, Medicare Part B coverage started two to three months after they enrolled.
What is the Initial Enrollment Period?
This has not changed, SSA said. If you are eligible at age 65, your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP):
- Begins three months before your 65th birthday.
- Includes the month of your 65th birthday.
- Ends three months after your 65th birthday.
“If you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B or if you sign up during the first three months of your IEP, your coverage will start the month you’re first eligible,” SSA wrote. “If you sign up the month you turn 65, your coverage will start the first day of the following month. This won’t change with the new rule.”
If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B during your IEP, you have another chance each year during the General Enrollment Period (GEP), SSA noted. The GEP lasts from January 1 through March 31. Starting January 1, 2023, your coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.
More information can be found on the SSA’s Medicare section.
Other Medicare Resources:
- 2023 Medicare Part B Premiums and Open Enrollment
- Medicare Part B and Appealing High Premiums
- How Medicare Works and Minimizes Federal Retiree Medical Expenses
- Medicare Open Enrollment Period: What Does It Mean for Federal Retirees?
- Understanding the Three Enrollment Periods for Medicare and the Late Enrollment Penalty
- Deciding on the Right Choice for Medicare Enrollment
- What Federal Retirees Need to Know About Medicare Part D