Turning 65 in Florida: a month-by-month Medicare checklist

Every week someone calls our Sarasota office a little panicked. They turn 65 next month, a stack of mail from insurance companies has arrived, and they are not sure whether they have already missed something important. The good news: Medicare gives you a generous seven-month window, and if you follow a simple timeline the whole process is calm and orderly.

This checklist is the same one our advisors walk through with clients at the kitchen table. Use it as a guide, and call us if any step does not fit your situation.

Six months before your birthday: gather your facts

Start earlier than you think you need to. The decisions you make in the next few months depend on details that take time to collect, especially if you or your spouse are still working.

• Create or log in to your my Social Security account and confirm your work record shows at least 40 quarters.
• If you are working, ask HR how many employees the company has and whether the group plan is considered creditable for Medicare.
• Write down every doctor, specialist and hospital you want to keep.
• Make a medication list with the name, dose and how often you take each one.
• Note any months you spend outside Florida each year.

Three months before: your window opens

Your Initial Enrollment Period starts three months before the month you turn 65. If your birthday is on the first of the month, Medicare treats you as turning 65 the month before, so your window opens one month earlier.

If you are not already receiving Social Security benefits, you need to apply for Medicare yourself. Applying early in the window is smart because your coverage can start on the first day of your birthday month. The application takes about 15 minutes online.

This is also the right time to compare your coverage options: Original Medicare with a Supplement and Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan. We run a network and drug check for your exact ZIP code so you see your real costs, not averages.

Your birthday month: confirm and activate

By now your red, white and blue Medicare card should have arrived in the mail. Check that your Part A and Part B effective dates are correct. If you chose a Medicare Supplement, your application should be timed so the policy starts the same day as Part B.

Watch for welcome kits from any Advantage, Supplement or Part D carrier. Keep the ID cards with your Medicare card, and cancel any individual marketplace plan so you are not paying for two policies.

Three months after: the window closes

You can still enroll during the three months after your birthday month, but coverage begins the month after you sign up. Waiting past the end of your window without other qualifying coverage can mean a Part B penalty of 10 percent for every full year you delayed, and a Part D penalty that also lasts for life.

If you are delaying Part B because of employer coverage, keep the written proof from your employer. You will need it when you enroll later using a special enrollment period.

Florida details people often miss

Florida has a large number of Medicare Advantage plans, and plans are priced and built by county. A plan that works in Sarasota County may not exist in Manatee or Charlotte County. If you live in Lakewood Ranch or Englewood, confirm which county your address is in before you compare.

Also remember that Medicare Supplement guaranteed-issue rights in Florida are limited outside your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period. If you think you might want a Supplement at any point, the months right after your Part B starts are the easiest time to get one.

When to call an advisor

You do not need help to enroll in Medicare, but most people find it saves time and money to have someone check their choices. Our help is free, and we are happy to simply review the plan you already picked. If anything in this checklist raised a question, speak to an advisor and we will walk through it with you.