Medicare 2026

Working past 65 in Euless? How to time Medicare around your job coverage

EULESS, Texas — If you are approaching 65 and still on the clock, one of the trickiest questions in Medicare is not which plan to pick. It is when to sign up at all. Get the timing right and your job coverage and Medicare fit together smoothly. Get it wrong and you could face lifelong late-enrollment penalties or a gap in coverage.

Here in Euless, where many workers stay on employer health plans well past 65 — from DFW Airport jobs to school district roles to small businesses along Highway 10 — the rules depend less on where you live and more on how big your employer is.

The 20-employee rule is the whole ballgame

Medicare's coordination rules hinge on one number: how many people work at your employer.

If your employer has 20 or more employees, your group health plan pays first and Medicare pays second (if you enroll). Because your job coverage is considered "primary," you can safely delay Part B enrollment while you keep working, and you will not owe a late penalty later.

If your employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare is usually the primary payer at 65 — even if you have not signed up. That means your group plan may pay little or nothing for services Medicare would have covered. In that situation, most people need to enroll in Part A and Part B at 65.

Ask your HR or benefits office in writing which payer is primary. That single answer drives every other decision.

Part A is usually a yes. Part B is the real question.

Most people qualify for premium-free Part A (hospital coverage) at 65 because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. Since it costs nothing, many workers enroll in Part A at 65 even while staying on their job plan.

One important exception: if you contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA), you cannot keep making HSA contributions once you enroll in any part of Medicare, including Part A. If you want to keep funding your HSA, you may want to delay Part A too. Talk to your benefits office before your 65th birthday.

Part B (doctor and outpatient coverage) has a monthly premium, so this is where the delay decision matters most. If your employer coverage is creditable and you have 20+ coworkers, delaying Part B is often reasonable.

When your job ends: the 8-month window

When you eventually retire or lose job coverage, Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) of 8 months to sign up for Part B without a late penalty. The clock starts the month after your employment or your group coverage ends — whichever comes first.

A common mistake: assuming COBRA or retiree health coverage keeps this window open. It does not. As far as Medicare is concerned, active employment is what pauses the enrollment clock. Once you leave the job, start the 8-month countdown even if COBRA is still paying claims.

To avoid a gap, most people sign up for Part B a month or two before their job coverage ends.

Part D and drug coverage: don't overlook this

If you delay Medicare because you have job coverage, you also need to think about Part D (prescription drugs). Your employer plan must be "creditable" — meaning it is expected to pay, on average, at least as much as standard Medicare drug coverage. Employers are required to send you a notice each year telling you whether your drug coverage is creditable. Keep those notices.

If your drug coverage is not creditable and you go more than 63 days without Part D once eligible, you can owe a permanent late-enrollment penalty when you finally sign up.

For 2026, Medicare drug coverage includes an annual out-of-pocket cap of $2,100, a maximum deductible of $615, and the option to spread drug costs across the year through the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.

What Euless residents should know locally

Euless is in Tarrant County, where Medicare Advantage and Part D plan availability is set at the county level. That means when you are ready to compare plans — whether now or when you leave your job — you will be shopping the Tarrant County plan lineup, not a Euless-specific one.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7 each year, and the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period runs January 1 through March 31 for people already on an Advantage plan.

Higher earners should also know that IRMAA surcharges — extra amounts added to Part B and Part D premiums — begin above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026, based on your tax return from two years earlier.