Medicare 2026

Turning 65 in Montgomery? Your Medicare Sign-Up Window

MONTGOMERY, Ala. — If your 65th birthday is on the horizon, you're about to meet one of the most important deadlines of your adult life: your Initial Enrollment Period for Medicare. Miss it, and you could face lifelong late penalties and a gap in coverage. Hit it, and you set yourself up for a smoother start with fewer surprises.

Aging into Medicare: the 7-month window you don't want to miss

Here's a plain-language walk-through for readers here in Montgomery — what the window is, when it opens, and the first decisions to think about.

What the Initial Enrollment Period actually is

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a 7-month window built around your 65th birthday. It includes:

• The 3 months before the month you turn 65
• The month you turn 65
• The 3 months after your birthday month

If your birthday falls on the first of the month, Medicare treats you as eligible the month before. For everyone else, coverage generally starts the first day of your birthday month if you sign up early, or the month after you enroll if you sign up later in the window.

Signing up in the three months before your birthday is usually the smoothest path, because your coverage can begin the day you turn 65 with no gap.

The parts you're signing up for

Original Medicare has two pieces:

• Part A (hospital insurance) — most people pay no premium because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working.
• Part B (doctor visits, outpatient care) — has a standard monthly premium set each year by Medicare.

From there, you have a choice about how to get the rest of your coverage:

1. Original Medicare + a stand-alone Part D drug plan, sometimes paired with a Medigap (supplement) policy to help with out-of-pocket costs, or 2. A Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), which bundles Parts A, B, and usually D through a private insurer.

Montgomery is in Montgomery County, where Medicare Advantage and Part D options are set at the county level. When you shop, you'll be looking at what's available in Montgomery County specifically.

What if you're still working at 65?

This is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer depends on your employer.

• If you or your spouse has job-based coverage from an employer with 20 or more employees, you can often delay Part B without a penalty and pick it up later through a Special Enrollment Period.
• If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare usually becomes primary at 65, and delaying could leave you with gaps. Check with your HR office before your birthday month.
• COBRA and retiree coverage do not count as active employer coverage for delaying Part B. Signing up on time matters even if you have COBRA.

If you're unsure, call your benefits administrator and your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) before you decide.

2027 numbers worth knowing

A few program-level figures will shape your drug costs no matter which path you pick:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug spending hits that, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no higher than $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The old coverage gap (“donut hole”) is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases, not four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
• IRMAA — an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums — kicks in above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

First steps: a simple checklist

1. Mark your 7-month window on a calendar. Aim to enroll in the first three months if you can. 2. Decide about Part B based on your current coverage. If you're not working, enroll on time to avoid a lifelong late-enrollment penalty. 3. Sign up at ssa.gov if you're not already receiving Social Security. If you are, you'll be enrolled in Parts A and B automatically. 4. Compare drug coverage. Even if you take few medications, having a Part D plan (or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs) protects you from penalties later. 5. Look at Medigap timing. Your best chance to buy a supplement policy without medical underwriting is the 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period that starts when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. 6. Get free, unbiased help. Alabama SHIP counselors don't sell anything — they explain.