Medicare 2026

Medicare and Your Job in Maple Grove: When to Enroll

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. — Turning 65 used to mean retiring. Today, plenty of Maple Grove residents are still clocking in — at Target headquarters up the road, at Boston Scientific, at the school district, or running their own shop off Bass Lake Road. If that's you, one question tends to keep coming up: do I have to sign up for Medicare, or can I keep the health plan I already have through work?

Still Working at 65 in Maple Grove? Here's How Medicare Fits In

The short answer is: it depends on the size of your employer, the kind of coverage you have, and how the timing lines up. Here's what to know before you make a move you can't easily undo.

Start With the Size of Your Employer

Medicare's rules for working people hinge on how many employees your company has.

• 20 or more employees: Your employer's group health plan usually pays first, and Medicare pays second if you enroll. Many people in this situation delay Part B (medical insurance) without a penalty, because they have what Medicare calls "creditable coverage" through work.
• Fewer than 20 employees: Medicare typically pays first, and your job's plan pays second. In this case, most people need to enroll in Part A and Part B at 65 to avoid gaps in coverage — even if they're still working.

If you're not sure which category your employer falls into, ask your HR or benefits office in writing. Get the answer in writing too. This is the single most important fact for your decision.

Part A Is Usually a Yes. Part B Is the Real Question.

Most people qualify for premium-free Part A (hospital insurance) at 65 because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. Since it doesn't cost anything, many working people go ahead and enroll in Part A at 65 as a secondary layer of hospital coverage.

Part B is different. It has a monthly premium, and that premium can be higher if your income is above certain thresholds — the IRMAA surcharge kicks in above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026. If your job's coverage is solid and counts as creditable, delaying Part B can save you the premium until you actually need it.

Just be careful: if you drop employer coverage later, you get an 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B without a late penalty. Miss that window and the penalty can follow you for life.

Watch Out If You Have an HSA

This one trips people up. Once you enroll in any part of Medicare — including Part A — you can no longer contribute to a Health Savings Account. You can still spend down what's in it, but no new contributions.

If you're maxing out an HSA through your Maple Grove employer and want to keep doing that, you may want to delay both Part A and Part B until you stop contributing. Talk to your benefits office and, ideally, a tax professional before you enroll.

What About Part D and Drug Coverage?

If your employer plan includes prescription drug coverage that's considered creditable, you can usually skip Part D while you're still working — no penalty. Your plan should send you a notice each year confirming whether the drug coverage is creditable. Save that notice.

When you do move to Medicare drug coverage, a few numbers are worth knowing:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three simpler phases.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying big bills at the pharmacy counter.

The Local Landscape in Hennepin County

Maple Grove is in Hennepin County, where Medicare beneficiaries have a wide range of choices when they're ready — including Original Medicare with a stand-alone Part D plan, Medicare Advantage plans, and Medigap (supplement) policies. Hennepin County is one of the larger Medicare markets in Minnesota, and multiple carriers offer plans here.

Availability is set at the county level, not the city level, so a neighbor in Plymouth or Brooklyn Park sees the same plan options you do. When you're ready to compare, the official Plan Finder at medicare.gov lets you enter your ZIP code and your prescriptions to see side-by-side details.

Key Dates to Circle

• Initial Enrollment Period: the 7-month window around your 65th birthday.
• Special Enrollment Period: the 8 months after employer coverage ends, for Part B without penalty.
• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 each year, for Part D and Medicare Advantage changes.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, for switching or dropping an Advantage plan.