I am 65 and on unemployment compensation. My Union still pays my health benefits through August 2020. I am trying to hold off until September to start early SS benefits (1-1-55)is my birthday. My phone conversation with an interviewer I was told I had to start medicare part B now. It was explained to me that I must be employed and have health benefits. Is this correct or was I misinformed. Thank you

Hi,

Well, you aren't required to sign up for Medicare, but it sounds like you might want to. You must be considered as an active employee in order for your employer group health coverage to be your primary coverage instead of Medicare. So, if your no longer an active employee and since you've reached age 65, you would probably want to sign up for Medicare. You might want to double check with the administrator of your health plan, but if that coverage would now be secondary to Medicare then they won't pay any expenses that Medicare would have been responsible for even if you fail to sign up for Medicare.

You're now outside of your initial enrollment period for Medicare, so you'd have to sign up for Part B coverage either in a special enrollment period (SEP) or a general enrollment period (GEP). Your SEP would extend for 8 months starting with the first month you were no longer considered as an active employee under your group plan. If you're still within your SEP you can enroll in Part B as early as the month after the month you apply.

If you're not in an SEP, the next GEP will be January through March 2021, and if you signed up in that GEP your Part B coverage would start effective July 1 2021.

Best, Jerry