Turning 65 in Florida? Here's Your Medicare Checklist

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is 7 months long: the 3 months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and the 3 months after. Enroll in the 3 months before your birthday month and coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. (One quirk: if your birthday falls on the 1st, everything shifts a month earlier.)

If you (or your spouse) have creditable group coverage from an employer with 20 or more employees, you can usually delay Part B — and often Part D — without penalty, then enroll later with a Special Enrollment Period when the job or coverage ends. If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare generally needs to be primary and delaying can be costly. This is the #1 situation where a quick expert check pays off.

Late enrollment penalties are permanent. Part B: 10% added to your premium for every 12 months you were eligible but not enrolled — for life. Part D: 1% of the national base premium for every month without creditable drug coverage — also for life. You may also wait months for a General Enrollment Period, uninsured in the meantime.

Only if you're already receiving Social Security benefits at least 4 months before turning 65 — then Parts A and B start automatically and your card arrives in the mail. Everyone else must actively sign up through ssa.gov, by phone, or at a Social Security office.

Most people pay $0 for Part A (if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for 10+ years). The standard Part B premium is $202.90/month in 2026 (higher for high earners). Beyond that, your costs depend on the path you choose: a Medicare Advantage plan (often $0–$50/month) or Original Medicare plus a Medigap plan (roughly $90–$250/month in Florida) and a Part D drug plan.

Florida law requires issue-age pricing on Medigap policies — your premium basis is locked to the age you were at purchase. Enrolling at exactly 65, during your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment (no health questions), locks in both the lowest rate basis of your life and guaranteed acceptance. Waiting costs Floridians more than residents of most other states.

You can enroll in Parts A and B yourself at ssa.gov — that part is straightforward. Where guidance genuinely helps is choosing between Medicare Advantage and Medigap, picking a drug plan that covers your medications, and hitting every deadline. Our help is free: we're paid by the carrier you eventually choose, and premiums are identical with or without an agent.