Working past 65

Each year, more people choose to work past 65. If you plan to work past your 65th birthday, keep these things in mind to get the most out of your retirement budget.

Special Enrollment Periods

Under certain special conditions (like working past 65), you may be able to sign up for Medicare outside of regular enrollment periods.

Get started

If you are working past 65 and have employer-provided coverage

Speak with your employer to determine if you need to enroll in Medicare Part A and/or Part B, and ask what coverage options may be available to you as part of your employment. You may have coverage available to you through your employer or through COBRA.

In the months leading up to your 65th birthday, confirm with the employer that provides your health insurance — whether it's your employer or your spouse's — that they will continue to cover you after you turn 65.

If your current coverage ends when you turn 65

Enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B (also known as Original Medicare). You may also need additional coverage for the costs that Medicare does not cover. Consider a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan.

If your employer-based coverage continues after you turn 65

Confirm these three things with your employer:

1. Will your group health plan be your primary payer, or will Medicare? If Medicare is primary (which can be the case for businesses with fewer than 20 employees), you may need to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B.
2. Will you have COBRA or a retiree health plan? If the answer is yes, you may also need to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B. Check with your employer about the next steps you should take in these cases.
3. What does your current group plan cover, and how much does it cost? Depending on your plan options and health outlook it may be cheaper to drop your group coverage and enroll in a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan than keep your employer-based coverage. You will need to first enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B so be sure to factor in your Medicare Part B premium cost when comparing your options.

If you work for a small company or are self-employed

Many people who work for a small company, or are self-employed, purchase individual or family plans through the federal Marketplace or a private insurance company.

If you have an Individual and Family plan, also known as an individual Qualified Health Plan (QHP), you may have more affordable Medicare options available to you.

Look into your Medicare choices

Choosing either Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan and a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, or a Medicare Advantage plan, gives you coverage options that may be more comprehensive and have lower costs than your QHP.

You can keep your QHP coverage, but it may be a costly choice

If you keep your existing QHP plan after enrolling in Original Medicare, you may not qualify for any tax credits to help pay for your plan's monthly premium, which will make it much more expensive. There's also no guarantee that your plan will pay anything toward your health or drug claims after Medicare pays, so you may be paying a high premium for little to no coverage.

 

 

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Website last updated: 8/8/2023