This is called the initial enrollment period. It lasts 7 months, starting 3 months before you turn 65 and ending 3 months after the month you turn 65. My birthday is the first day of the month. The GEP is a 3-month period that takes place from January 1 to March 31 of each year. Part B coverage and Part A premium coverage will begin one month after the person enrolls during the GEP. Medicare ESRD coverage ends three years (36 months) after a successful kidney transplant, unless a person is eligible to continue Medicare coverage because they are 65 or older or because they have been receiving Social Security disability benefits for at least two years.
People who do not enroll in Part B or have a Part A premium when they were first eligible because they were volunteering outside the United States for at least 12 months on behalf of a tax-exempt organization and had health insurance that provided coverage for the duration of their volunteer service can enroll through this SEP. In the case of Medicare Part B, 10% is added to the standard monthly premium for Part B for each 12-month period in which a beneficiary delays enrollment in Part B. For people who enroll through the SEP for people of working age and people who are unable to work, the LEP for Part B is calculated by adding the months elapsed between the closing of the person's IEP and the end of the month in which the person enrolls. Part A coverage begins the month a person turns 65, provided they file an application for Part A (or to receive Social Security or RRB benefits) within 6 months of the month they turn 65. Disabled federal, state and local government employees who are not eligible for monthly Social Security or RRB benefits may be entitled to disability benefits and are automatically entitled to Part A after being incapacitated for 29 months. The quality controls you obtain can only be used to meet the requirements of Part A without premiums; they cannot be used to meet the requirements for monthly Social Security benefits.
The eligibility rules for Part B depend on whether a person is eligible to receive premium-free Part A or whether they have to pay a premium for Part A coverage. For people who enroll using the SEP for people of working age and people with work disabilities, the LEP premium for Part A is calculated by adding the months elapsed between the closing of the person's IEP and the end of the month in which the person signs up.
