New Start Dates for Medicare Part B Coverage Coming in 2023
Reading Time: 1 MinuteLast Updated: April 18, 2025
Changes are coming next year for Medicare Part B coverage.
What is not changing:
If you are eligible at age 65, your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP):
- Begins three months before your 65th birthday.
- Includes the month of your 65th birthday.
- Ends three months after your 65th birthday.
If you are automatically enrolled in Medicare Part B or if you sign up during the first three months of your IEP, your coverage will start the month you’re first eligible. If you sign up the month you turn 65, your coverage will start the first day of the following month. This won’t change with the new rule.
What is changing:
Starting January 1, 2023, your Medicare Part B coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up, if you sign up during the last three months of your IEP.
Before this change, if you signed up during the last three months of your IEP, your Medicare Part B coverage started two to three months after you enrolled.
If you don’t sign up for Medicare Part B during your IEP, you have another chance each year during the General Enrollment Period (GEP). The GEP lasts from January 1 through March 31. Starting January 1, 2023, your coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.
You can learn more about these updates on our Medicare webpage and our Medicare publication.
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Tags: Medicare
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Dawn Bystry, Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Strategic and Digital Communications
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Valerie R.
Hi I recently signed up online for Medicare. I am currently employed full time and I don’t need Part B. How do I cancel it? It goes into effect in June of 2023. Thank you
A.C.
Hi, Valerie. Thanks for visiting our blog. To terminate your Medicare Part B enrollment, we will help you submit a signed request for termination or Form CMS-1763. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) requires, when possible, a personal interview be conducted with everyone who wishes to terminate entitlement. Therefore, we do not offer form CMS-1763 online. For an interview, you can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Richard R.
I had Part A & Part B but my Part B was terminated several years ago. How do I find out how much I owe, pay the amount, & get my Part B back so I can get better medical coverage?
A.C.
Hi, Richard. Thanks for visiting our blog. For your security, we do not have access to private information in this venue. We ask that members in our Blog community work with our offices with specific questions. You can call us at 1-800-772-1213, Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., for assistance. You can also contact your local Social Security office. We hope this helps.
Patrick J.
I have enrolled in medicare but will not start social security until age 66 and 8 mos. How will I pay my part B premiums before my social security payments start?
A.C.
Hi, Patrick. Thanks for your question. If you don’t get Social Security payments, Railroad Retirement Benefits, or Civil Service benefits, you’ll get a bill called a “Medicare Premium Bill” (CMS-500). For more information about Medicare billing, please visit https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/pay-premiums. We hope this helps.
Jim H.
My wife turned 65 in 12/22 while i was employed and we were insured through my railroad employer. We called the RRB multiple times from 09/22 on inquiring about getting my wife enrolled in Medicare when she turned 65. We were told each time that she didn’t need to enroll as long as she was covered under my insurance. We both started the process of enrolling in 02/23. Being told her medicare will not be in effect until 03/23 due to the enrollment changes that took effect 01/23. She incurred medical bills in 02/23 that should have been covered by Medicare but will not be because they wouldn’t let her sign up back in December 2022 when we should have. I had a high deductable insurance plan so this is going to cost us over $8500 out of pocket for those medical bills that should have been covered by Railroad Medicare if they had let her sign up for it when she turned 65. This is right. We should not be subjected to a rule change that would not even apply to us if she would have been allowed to sign up when she turned 65. Can someone help with this? It’s not right.
A.C.
Hi, Jim. We are sorry to hear about your situation. Unfortunately, your question is a bit more complex than we can handle in this forum. You may wish to contact your local Medicare SHIP (State Health Insurance Program Coordinator) to discuss your options. We hope this helps.