Medicare 2026

Turning 65 in Manassas? Your Medicare Timeline, Step by Step

If a 65th birthday is coming up in Manassas, Medicare is probably on your mind — and maybe a little on your nerves. The good news: the first decisions are more manageable than they look, as long as you know the timeline. Miss a window, though, and you could face lifetime penalties or a gap in coverage. Here's a plain-English walk-through of what to do and when.

Turning 65 in Manassas? Here's how to start Medicare the right way

Your Initial Enrollment Period: a 7-month window

Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is 7 months long. It starts 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and runs 3 months after.

For most people, this is when you sign up for:

• Part A (hospital insurance) — usually premium-free if you or a spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years.
• Part B (doctor and outpatient services) — has a standard monthly premium.

A key tip: if you want your coverage to start the month you turn 65, enroll in the first 3 months of your IEP. Signing up later in the window pushes your start date back.

If you're already receiving Social Security benefits before 65, you'll usually be enrolled in Parts A and B automatically. If not, you need to sign up yourself at ssa.gov or by calling Social Security.

Still working at 65? Read this before you do anything

This is where a lot of people in Manassas trip up. Whether you should take Part B at 65 depends on the kind of health coverage you already have.

• Employer coverage from a job with 20+ employees (yours or your spouse's): You can usually delay Part B without penalty and get a Special Enrollment Period later when you retire or lose that coverage.
• Employer with fewer than 20 employees, retiree coverage, COBRA, or marketplace (ACA) plans: These generally do not protect you from the late-enrollment penalty. In most cases, you should enroll in Part B during your IEP.
• VA benefits alone: Many veterans still enroll in Part B to expand access to non-VA doctors.

If you're unsure, don't guess. Call your benefits administrator and confirm in writing whether your coverage is considered "creditable" for Medicare.

The big fork: Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage

Once you have Parts A and B, you'll choose how to get your coverage:

1. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) — run directly by the federal government. Most people add a stand-alone Part D drug plan, and many add a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) policy to help with out-of-pocket costs. 2. Medicare Advantage (Part C) — private plans, approved by Medicare, that bundle Parts A and B (and usually Part D) together, often with extra benefits and provider networks.

Manassas is in Manassas City, and Medicare plan availability is set at the county level. Both Original Medicare and a range of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are offered there. The right choice depends on your doctors, prescriptions, budget, and how you like to use insurance — not on which plan advertises the most.

One important note about Medigap: your strongest protections to buy any Medigap policy — regardless of your health — happen during a 6-month window that starts when you're 65 and enrolled in Part B. Miss it, and insurers in most states (including Virginia) can charge you more or turn you down.

Don't forget Part D — even if you don't take medications now

Part D covers prescription drugs. If you don't sign up when you're first eligible and you don't have other "creditable" drug coverage, you can be hit with a lifetime late-enrollment penalty added to your premium.

Some 2026 Part D facts worth knowing:

• The annual out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs is $2,100.
• The maximum plan deductible is $615.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone — 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 a big bill at the pharmacy counter.

Even if you take no medicines today, most experts suggest enrolling in an inexpensive Part D plan just to avoid the penalty later.

A quick word on income and IRMAA

Higher-income beneficiaries pay an extra amount, called IRMAA, on Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, IRMAA starts above $109,000 in modified adjusted gross income for a single filer (higher thresholds for couples). Social Security uses your tax return from two years earlier, so a recent retirement or life change can be appealed.

Key dates to remember after you're enrolled

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 each year. Change your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan for the following year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch to another Advantage plan or return to Original Medicare.