Can I Delay Enrolling in Medicare Part B?

If you or your spouse is still actively working and covered by group health insurance through an employer with 20 or more employees, that employer coverage is considered primary — meaning it pays before Medicare would. In this situation, you may delay enrolling in Part B without facing a late enrollment penalty, because your employer plan qualifies as creditable coverage.

To take advantage of this, you need to keep documentation showing that you had qualifying employer coverage during the period you delayed. When that coverage ends, you will have a Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B without penalty.

Not all coverage qualifies as a valid reason to delay Part B. Retiree coverage — insurance provided by a former employer after you've stopped working — does not allow you to delay Part B safely. COBRA continuation coverage does not qualify either. Coverage from a small employer with fewer than 20 employees also does not allow safe delay, because in that case Medicare is actually primary, and the small employer plan is secondary.

If you delay Part B based on the wrong type of coverage, you could face a permanent late enrollment penalty of 10% for every 12-month period you were eligible but not enrolled — and you could be left with unexpected bills that your secondary plan refuses to cover because Medicare should have paid first.

When your qualifying employer coverage ends — because you retire, leave your job, or your employer drops coverage — you have an 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B without a penalty. This window begins the month after your employment or coverage ends, whichever comes first.

Missing this 8-month window means you'll have to wait for the General Enrollment Period, which runs January 1 through March 31 each year, with coverage beginning July 1. That's a potential gap of months without Medicare coverage — and a permanent premium penalty that follows you for life.

If you're approaching 65 and still working, schedule a consultation before your Initial Enrollment Period opens. We'll review your employer coverage — including whether your employer has 20 or more employees, how your plan coordinates with Medicare, and whether delaying enrollment makes financial sense for you.

One conversation now can prevent a costly mistake that compounds every month for the rest of your life. We do this at no cost to you.