Starting in 2023, there are changes to Medicare enrollment periods that will help people enroll with fewer gaps in coverage. Two of these changes are to the Initial Enrollment Period and General Enrollment Period.
How has the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) changed in 2023?
If you are turning 65 and you do not have coverage based on current work, it is usually best to enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). The IEP is the seven-month period that includes the three months before, the month of, and the three months after your 65th birthday. Before 2023, people who enrolled in Medicare during the last three months of their IEP had to wait up to three months before their coverage would begin. Starting in 2023, that gap in coverage is eliminated.
When does Medicare coverage start?
Coverage is now effective the first of the month after the month of enrollment for those who enroll in the last three months of their IEP. For example, if you turn 65 in May 2023, your IEP begins in February 2023 and ends in August 2023.
- If you enroll in Medicare in February, March, or April: Medicare coverage begins May 1.
- If you enroll in May: Coverage begins June 1.
- If you enroll in June: Coverage begins July 1.
- If you enroll in July: Coverage begins August 1.
- If you enroll in August: Coverage begins September 1.