Medicare 2026

Chambersburg at 65: how your seven-month Medicare sign-up window works

If you live in Chambersburg and your 65th birthday is on the horizon, Medicare has a specific stretch of time set aside just for you. It is called the Initial Enrollment Period, and it is the single most important window in your Medicare life. Miss it, and you could face lifelong late penalties and a wait for coverage. Use it well, and you set yourself up for years of smoother care.

Medicare 2027Chambersburg, PA

What the Initial Enrollment Period actually is

The Initial Enrollment Period, or IEP, is the seven-month stretch built around your 65th birthday. It runs from three months before the month you turn 65, through your birthday month, and three months after. For most people, this is the first time they can sign up for Medicare Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical).

If your birthday is in June, for example, your window opens March 1 and closes September 30. When you enroll matters: sign up early in that window and your coverage can begin on the first day of your birthday month. Wait until your birthday month or after, and coverage can be delayed.

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

This trips up a lot of people. If you are already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits at least four months before you turn 65, you are usually enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically. Your red, white and blue Medicare card arrives in the mail.

If you are not yet drawing Social Security — which is more common now that full retirement age has moved past 65 — nothing is automatic. You have to sign yourself up. You can do that online at ssa.gov, by calling Social Security at 1-800-772-1213, or by visiting a local Social Security office.

First decisions to think through

Once you have Part A and Part B (called Original Medicare), you have some choices to make. You can stay with Original Medicare and consider adding a stand-alone Part D drug plan and, if you want, a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy. Or you can choose a Medicare Advantage plan, which bundles Parts A, B and usually D through a private insurer.

Chambersburg is in Franklin County, where Medicare plan availability is set at the county level. That means the specific Medicare Advantage and Part D plans offered to you are determined by your Franklin County ZIP code, not by the city line.

Two things to know about Part D as you compare drug coverage: the annual out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027, and the maximum Part D deductible any plan can charge is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. The old "donut hole" coverage gap was eliminated in 2025, so Part D now works in three simpler phases.

What happens if you are still working

If you or your spouse are still working at 65 and you have health insurance through that job, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty. This is called a Special Enrollment Period, and it lets you sign up later — usually within eight months of losing that job-based coverage — without the lifelong Part B late penalty.

Not all employer coverage counts, though. Coverage through a small employer (generally fewer than 20 employees), retiree plans, and COBRA often do not protect you from the penalty. Before you turn down Part B, call your benefits administrator and ask, in writing, whether your plan is considered "creditable" for Medicare purposes.

The penalties, briefly

Skipping Part B without other qualifying coverage can add 10% to your premium for each full 12-month period you were eligible but didn't sign up — and that surcharge lasts as long as you have Part B. The Part D late penalty is smaller per month but also permanent. These are the costs of missing the window, and they are avoidable with a little planning.

Higher-income enrollees should also know about IRMAA, an income-based surcharge added to Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, IRMAA begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer (higher for joint filers). Most people never hit it, but if you have a pension, strong investment income or a big one-time capital gain, plan ahead.

A simple timeline for Chambersburg residents

Six months before your birthday month: gather information. Look at the doctors you use, the prescriptions you take, and any travel plans. If you are working, ask HR whether your coverage is creditable.

Three months before your birthday month: your IEP opens. If you are not automatically enrolled, this is when to apply for Part A and Part B through Social Security. This is also the earliest you can pick a Part D plan or a Medicare Advantage plan.

The month you turn 65: your first chance to buy a Medigap policy under guaranteed-issue rules opens once your Part B starts. In most states, including Pennsylvania, this six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the easiest time to get a Medigap policy without medical underwriting.

Where to get unbiased help in Chambersburg

You do not have to figure this out alone, and you should not rely on a TV ad to make the decision. Pennsylvania's State Health Insurance Assistance Program is called APPRISE, and it provides free, one-on-one Medicare counseling — no sales pitch. Franklin County residents can reach APPRISE through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging or by calling 1-800-783-7067.

You can also use the plan finder at medicare.gov to compare drug plans and Medicare Advantage options by ZIP code, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), 24 hours a day.