Turning 65 in Houston: your Medicare timeline

When to sign up, what to do if you’re still working, how to avoid late penalties, and when to pick a plan — explained plainly by a licensed local agent.

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The short version

Your Initial Enrollment Period is 7 months long: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the 3 months after.
If you already get Social Security, you’ll be signed up for Parts A and B automatically. Your card arrives about 3 months before your birthday.
If you’re still working with coverage from a large employer (20+ employees), you may be able to wait on Part B without a penalty.
If you want a Medicare Supplement, the safest time to buy one is the 6 months after your Part B starts.

Your timeline, month by month

About a year before you turn 65

Gather what you’ll need

Ask HR how many people your employer (or your spouse’s employer) has, and whether your drug coverage is “creditable” for Medicare.
If you have a Health Savings Account (HSA), ask your employer or tax advisor when to stop contributing. Part A can start up to 6 months before the month you sign up, and HSA contributions aren’t allowed once you have Medicare.
Write down your doctors, prescriptions and pharmacy. These decide which plans make sense for you.

About 6 months before

Decide how you’ll use Medicare

Retiring? Plan to have Parts A and B start when your job coverage ends.
Still working? Decide whether to keep your job coverage, take Medicare, or use both. Read: Can I work and have Medicare?
Learn the two main paths: Original Medicare plus a Supplement and a drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. Compare the two.

3 months before your birthday month

Your enrollment window opens

If you’re not getting Social Security yet, sign up for Parts A and B at ssa.gov or through your local Social Security office.
Signing up now means your coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. (If your birthday is on the 1st, everything moves up one month.)
This is a good time to compare plans and schedule an appointment.

Your birthday month and the 3 months after

Last chance in your first window

If you sign up during these months, coverage starts the first day of the next month.
After the 3rd month, your Initial Enrollment Period ends. Without other coverage, you may have to wait for the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) and pay a late penalty.

The 6 months after your Part B starts

Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period

During these 6 months, a Medicare Supplement company can’t turn you down or charge you more because of your health.
In Texas, after this window, buying or switching a Supplement usually means answering health questions. Learn about Medicare Supplements.

Penalties to avoid

Part B: 10% added to your premium for each full 12 months you could have had Part B but didn’t, for as long as you have Part B — unless you had qualifying job-based coverage.
Part D: 1% of the national base premium for each month you went without creditable drug coverage, added for as long as you have drug coverage. Going 63 days or more without creditable coverage can trigger it.
Part A: most people don’t pay a premium for Part A, so there’s no penalty. If you do have to buy Part A, a late penalty can apply.

What it costs

Most people pay no premium for Part A. Part B has a monthly premium ($202.90 in 2026 for most people, higher if your income is above certain limits) plus a yearly deductible. On top of that, a Supplement, drug plan or Medicare Advantage plan has its own costs, which vary by plan and by county.

Help from the State of Texas

Texas HICAP (the state’s Health Information, Counseling and Advocacy Program) offers unbiased Medicare counseling at no cost: 1-800-252-9240. I’m happy to work alongside them.

Get the Turning 65 checklist

A one-page checklist with your dates, plus a few short emails as your birthday gets closer. Unsubscribe any time.

First and last name Email Zip code The month you turn 65 (optional — helps me send reminders at the right time) Year you turn 65 (optional) Phone (optional)

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We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, we represent 10 organizations that offer 8 to 11 MAPD plans in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.

Alph Coleman is a licensed insurance agent in Texas (license #1319502) and a licensed and certified representative of Medicare Advantage organizations and stand-alone prescription drug plans. Each of the organizations he represents has a Medicare contract. Enrollment in any plan depends on contract renewal.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. The plans we represent do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, or sex. This is a solicitation for insurance.