Medicare 2026

Approaching 65 in Palm Beach Gardens? Here's Your 7-Month Clock

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — If your 65th birthday is on the horizon, Medicare gives you a seven-month runway to get signed up — and missing it can mean lifelong late penalties. That window is called the Initial Enrollment Period, and for most people in Palm Beach Gardens, it's the single most important stretch of Medicare paperwork you'll ever handle.

Here's how the timing works, what you need to decide, and where to get free help.

The seven-month window, explained

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) runs for seven months around your 65th birthday. It starts three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and ends three months after.

For example, if your birthday is in June, your IEP runs March 1 through September 30. Enroll during those first three months and your coverage typically starts on the first day of your birthday month. Wait until your birthday month or later, and coverage can be pushed back — sometimes by a month or two.

The takeaway: earlier is smoother.

What you're actually signing up for

Medicare has a few pieces, and it helps to know what each does before your IEP begins.

• Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing, and some home health care. Most people pay no premium because they (or a spouse) paid Medicare taxes while working.
• Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and preventive services. It has a monthly premium set by the federal government.
• Part D covers prescription drugs. The Part D deductible can be no more than $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027, and yearly out-of-pocket drug costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now works in three simpler phases.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative way to get your Part A, Part B, and usually Part D benefits through a private plan approved by Medicare.
• Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policies work alongside Original Medicare to help with out-of-pocket costs.

Your best protections for buying a Medigap policy usually apply during the six months after your Part B starts, so it's worth understanding this before you enroll.

Are you automatically enrolled, or do you need to act?

If you're already collecting Social Security when you turn 65, you'll generally be enrolled in Parts A and B automatically, and your card arrives in the mail.

If you're not yet drawing Social Security — which is increasingly common as people work longer — you need to sign up yourself. You can do that at SSA.gov, by calling Social Security, or at a local office.

If you're still working at 65 and have health coverage through your employer (or a spouse's employer), the rules get more nuanced. Some people delay Part B without penalty; others don't qualify for that delay. Confirm your situation before you assume.

Palm Beach Gardens is in Palm Beach County — and options are plentiful

Palm Beach Gardens is in Palm Beach County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a wide range of Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans available from multiple insurance carriers. Availability is set at the county level, so two neighbors on the same street generally see the same menu of plans.

You can compare every plan available at your address using the official Plan Finder at Medicare.gov. It's the only tool that shows you all plans, not a filtered list.

Watch for IRMAA if you're a higher earner

Most people pay the standard Part B and Part D premiums. But if your income is above $109,000 as a single filer in 2026 (or $218,000 for a married couple filing jointly), you'll pay an Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount, or IRMAA, on top of the standard premium. Social Security uses your tax return from two years earlier to make that call.

If your income has dropped since then — say, because you retired — you can ask Social Security to reconsider.

Key deadlines to keep in mind

• Your IEP: the seven months around your 65th birthday.
• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7, for changes that take effect January 1.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan who want to switch once.

If you miss your IEP and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you may have to wait for the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) and face lifelong penalties.

Where to get free, unbiased help

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to talk to a salesperson to get answers.

• Medicare.gov has the official Plan Finder and enrollment information.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) is staffed 24/7.
• Florida SHINE (Serving Health Insurance Needs of Elders) provides free, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers. Call 1-800-963-5337 to find help in Palm Beach County.
• Social Security (SSA.gov or 1-800-772-1213) handles your actual enrollment in Parts A and B.