Turning 65 Medicare Enrollment Help in West New York, NJ

Your Initial Enrollment Period

Say you turn 65 in June. Your window runs from March 1 through September 30. If you sign up before June, coverage starts June 1. Sign up during or after your birthday month and coverage starts the first of the next month.

The government explains this in when you can sign up for Medicare (Medicare.gov)(external site).

Late Fees You Want to Avoid

Skip Part B when you were eligible, and every full 12 months of delay tacks 10% onto the monthly charge. Go without solid drug coverage, and Part D charges an extra 1% of a national base figure per month missed. Both can last for life. The exception is if you had qualifying coverage, such as a large employer plan.

Official details: how to avoid late enrollment penalties (Medicare.gov)(external site).

Step 3: Sign Up for A and B

If you already get Social Security checks, you are usually enrolled for you. If not, you apply online at ssa.gov/medicare(external site) or by phone at 1-800-772-1213. To find the nearest Social Security office, use the SSA office locator(external site).

Source: sign up for Parts A and B through Social Security (SSA.gov)(external site).

20 or More Workers

If your job's health plan covers a company with 20 or more workers, that plan pays first. You can usually delay Part B without a penalty. Many people still take Part A because it is premium-free.

Fewer Than 20 Workers

With a smaller employer, Medicare usually pays first. If you skip Part B, your job plan may not pay much. Most people at small firms should sign up on time.

HSA Warning

If you put money into a Health Savings Account, stop deposits before Medicare starts. Part A can start up to six months back, so plan ahead.

Enrollment Periods at a Glance

Common Special Periods

• You move out of your plan's area
• You lose job coverage
• Your plan leaves Medicare, like Braven Health at the end of 2026
• You qualify for Extra Help or NJ FamilyCare
• You enter or leave a nursing facility

A 90-Day Countdown

• Write down every doctor you see and the office address.
• List each medicine, the dose and how often you take it.
• Note your pharmacy, such as a shop on Bergenline Avenue or a mail-order service.
• Ask your employer or union what happens to your coverage at 65.

• Compare costs using our cost comparison guide.
• Choose your coverage and enroll.
• Ask for written plan details and save them in one folder.

Documents to Have Ready

• Your Social Security number and birth certificate or other proof of age
• Information about any job or union coverage you have now
• Your list of doctors and medicines
• Your bank details if you will pay premiums directly

If You Miss Your Window

If you miss your first window and do not have job coverage that counts, you can sign up during the General Enrollment Period from January 1 to March 31. Coverage then starts the month after you sign up. The Part B late fee is 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but did not, and it lasts as long as you have Part B.

Our Process for New Enrollees

About three months before your birthday month, we set up a call. We confirm whether you need to sign up or will be enrolled for you, and we look at any job coverage. Then we compare the plans we carry, including Medigap and drug plans or Medicare Advantage, so your coverage is ready on day one.

Your Free Welcome Visit

In your first 12 months with Part B, you can get a Welcome to Medicare preventive visit. After that, you get a yearly wellness visit. These visits cost nothing when your doctor accepts the Medicare rate. They are a good time to update your medicine list.

Enrollment in a plan may be limited to certain times of the year unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

It helps to read about every Medicare service we offer. Many readers next check the main West New York Medicare page. There is a full page on Part A and Part B basics. You may also want how Medigap Plan G and Plan N work. See Part D prescription drug plans. Our page on reading your Annual Notice of Change goes deeper. Next, look at talk with a licensed agent. We also cover Medicare and NJ FamilyCare together.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.

Figures are for 2026 unless noted and change every year. Last reviewed October 29, 2026.