Turning 65: How to Sign Up for Medicare at 65 in Oregon
Ready to look at real plans? Medicare’s official Plan Finder shows every plan in your ZIP code, with costs for your drugs.
Want free one-on-one help? Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Call 800-722-4134 or visit shiba.oregon.gov.
Your Turning 65 Timeline
- 16 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH
Get ready
- Check your work coverage. If you or your spouse have health insurance through a current job, ask your benefits team how it works with Medicare. You may be able to delay Part B without a penalty.
- Have a Health Savings Account (HSA)? Medicare affects HSA contributions, so talk to your benefits team or tax advisor before you sign up.
- Make your lists. Write down your doctors, the hospital you prefer, and your prescriptions with doses.
- Learn your two paths. Original Medicare with a Supplement and Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan. Here’s how the two paths compare.
- 23 MONTHS BEFORE YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH
Sign up
- Sign up for Part A and Part B through Social Security at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213.
- Already getting Social Security? If your benefits started at least 4 months before you turn 65, you’ll be enrolled automatically. Your Medicare card arrives about 3 months before your coverage starts.
- Compare plans. Look at Medicare Advantage plans, or a Medicare Supplement plus a Part D drug plan.
- 3YOUR BIRTHDAY MONTH
Coverage starts
- If you signed up in the 3 months before, your coverage starts the first day of this month. (Birthday on the 1st? It starts the month before.)
- Your 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts the first month you have Part B and are 65 or older.
- 4THE MONTHS AFTER
Lock in your plans
- Buy a Supplement within your 6-month Medigap window, if you want one. That’s when insurers can’t turn you down for health reasons.
- Don’t skip drug coverage. Going 63 days or more without Part D or other qualifying drug coverage can mean a lifelong penalty.
Medicare’s official Plan Finder shows every plan in your ZIP code, with costs for your drugs.
Want free one-on-one help? Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Call 800-722-4134 or visit shiba.oregon.gov.
When Does Your Coverage Start?
| If you sign up for Part B… | Your coverage starts… |
|---|---|
| Any of the 3 months before the month you turn 65 | The first day of the month you turn 65 |
| The month you turn 65, or during the 3 months after | The first day of the next month |
How Much Will Medicare Cost You at 65?
| Cost | 2026 amount |
|---|---|
| Part A premium | $0 for most people (if you or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for about 10 years) |
| Part B premium | $202.90 a month (more with higher income) |
| Part B deductible | $283 a year, then usually 20% of the cost |
| Part A hospital deductible | $1,736 per benefit period |
| Medicare Advantage, Supplement, or Part D plan | Depends on the plan. In the Portland area, 12 of 32 Medicare Advantage plans have a $0 premium for 2027 |
Still Working at 65?
If you or your spouse have health insurance through a current job, you may be able to wait on Part B. When that job or coverage ends, you get a Special Enrollment Period. It lasts 8 months after the coverage or the job ends, whichever happens first.
Retiring before 65? Here’s how to bridge your health insurance until Medicare.
Avoid Late Enrollment Penalties
Medicare’s late penalties aren’t one-time fees. For most people, they last as long as you have that coverage.
| Penalty | How it works | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Part B | 10% added to your premium for each full year you could have signed up but didn’t | Wait 2 full years and you pay 20% more. In 2026, that’s $243.50 a month instead of $202.90 |
| Part D | 1% for each month you went without drug coverage after you were first eligible, based on a national amount that changes yearly | Go 14 months without coverage and you pay 14% of $38.99 (2026), about $5.50 more each month |
You generally won’t pay these penalties if you had qualifying coverage, like employer drug coverage that’s as good as Part D.
Medicare’s official Plan Finder shows every plan in your ZIP code, with costs for your drugs.
Want free one-on-one help? Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Call 800-722-4134 or visit shiba.oregon.gov.
Oregon Tips for New Medicare Members
Free counseling
Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free Medicare counseling at 800-722-4134. Here’s how SHIBA and a broker differ.
Lots of plans in the Portland area
32 Medicare Advantage plans from 8 insurers in each Portland-area county for 2027.
Supplement switching
Once you have a Supplement, Oregon’s birthday rule lets you switch plans each year. Here’s how it works.
Limited income?
A Medicare Savings Program may help pay your Part B premium.
FAQs
What do I need to do 6 months before I turn 65?
Check how any work coverage fits with Medicare, list your doctors and prescriptions, and learn the difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
What do I need to know about Medicare before I turn 65?
Your sign-up window is 7 months around your 65th birthday, Part B has a monthly premium, and missing your window can mean lifelong penalties unless you have qualifying coverage from a current job.
How much will Medicare cost me once I turn 65?
Most people pay $0 for Part A. Part B is $202.90 a month in 2026, plus deductibles and coinsurance. Any Medicare Advantage, Supplement, or Part D plan has its own cost.
Will I be enrolled in Medicare automatically?
If you started getting Social Security benefits at least 4 months before you turn 65, yes. Otherwise, you sign up through Social Security.
What if I miss my Initial Enrollment Period?
You can sign up during the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the month after you sign up. You may owe a late penalty.
Medicare’s official Plan Finder shows every plan in your ZIP code, with costs for your drugs.
Want free one-on-one help? Oregon’s SHIBA program offers free, unbiased Medicare counseling. Call 800-722-4134 or visit shiba.oregon.gov.
