What is Medicare’s general enrollment period?

Dear Toni: I turned 65 in June two years ago and did not enroll in Medicare because I do not have any health issues. A friend advised me to enroll during Medicare’s annual enrollment period. I received a letter stating that because I did not enroll when I turned 65 that I have been denied Medicare.

The letter also stated that I need to enroll online during Medicare’s general enrollment period, which is Jan. 1 to March 31. I am confused about how I need to do to enroll in Medicare online. Can you please explain what I need to do and what kind of penalty I can expect? — Don, Dallas

Dear Don: You will have to enroll during Medicare’s general enrollment period, as the letter says. This window is for people who never enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B, but not for those who failed to enroll in a Part D prescription drug plan. You will have to wait for Medicare’s annual enrollment period (Oct. 15 to Dec. 7) to enroll in Part D.

If you wait past March 31 to enroll, your Medicare enrollment will be delayed until Jan. 1 of the next year, and you’ll receive a higher Part B penalty. This penalty goes all the way back to the month you turned 65.

It is a 10 percent penalty for each 12-month period that you failed to enroll. Your penalty will be 20 percent or 30 percent depending on the number of years you could have had Part B. These penalties remain in effect for the life of a beneficiary’s Medicare coverage.

Enrolling in Medicare Parts A and B requires you to have an ssa.gov account. When signing up during the Jan. 1-Mar. 31 general enrollment period, your Medicare coverage will begin the first day of the following month.

Currently, more than 7 million Americans on Medicare are receiving a Part B penalty, costing $5,000 on average over their lifetime because they did not enroll at the right time.

Don, you will also receive a Part D penalty and should enroll during the 2025 open enrollment period. That penalty is 1 percent for each month you failed to enroll in Medicare Part D starting at age 65. It is based on the national Part D average premium.

Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare and health insurance issues. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664.