Medicare Part D

Still Working at 65 in Topeka? Your Medicare Enrollment Guide

TOPEKA, Kan. — If you're approaching 65 and still clocking in at a job in Topeka, you may be wondering whether Medicare is something you sign up for now, later, or not at all. The answer depends on your employer's size, the kind of coverage you have, and a few deadlines that are easy to miss.

Here's a plain-English look at how to coordinate Medicare with a job you still love — or still need.

The big question: enroll now or wait?

Medicare eligibility starts the month you turn 65, but you don't automatically have to sign up if you're still working and have health insurance through your job. Whether it makes sense to delay depends mostly on how many people your employer employs.

• 20 or more employees: Your job's group health plan usually pays first, and Medicare pays second (if you enroll). Many people in this situation delay Part B to avoid paying a premium for coverage they don't yet need.
• Fewer than 20 employees: Medicare typically pays first, and your employer plan pays second. In that case, you generally need to enroll in Part A and Part B at 65 — or your employer coverage may leave gaps.

If you're not sure how the rules apply to your specific plan, ask your HR or benefits office in writing. This is one of the most common places people get tripped up.

Part A is usually a "yes" — Part B is the decision

Most people enroll in Part A (hospital insurance) at 65 because it's premium-free if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for at least 10 years. It can sit alongside employer coverage without much fuss.

Part B (medical insurance) has a monthly premium, so this is the piece most working people weigh carefully. If your employer coverage is considered "creditable" and the employer has 20+ employees, you can generally delay Part B without a late penalty — and sign up later through a Special Enrollment Period when you retire or lose coverage.

Watch out for the Part B late penalty

Here's the trap: if you delay Part B and your employer coverage doesn't qualify as creditable (for example, retiree coverage, COBRA, or a small employer plan under 20 workers), you could face a lifetime late enrollment penalty — 10% added to your Part B premium for every 12 months you were eligible but didn't enroll.

COBRA and retiree coverage do not count as active employer coverage for Medicare purposes. If you're on COBRA at 65, you generally need to enroll in Medicare on time.

Special Enrollment Period: your safety net when you retire

When you eventually leave your job or lose employer coverage, you get an 8-month Special Enrollment Period (SEP) to sign up for Part B without a penalty. The clock starts the month after employment ends or group coverage ends — whichever comes first.

Two tips:

• Don't wait the full 8 months. Gaps in coverage can happen.
• If you want a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, those have their own separate 2-month window after your job coverage ends.

Prescription drug coverage and 2027 changes

If your employer plan includes drug coverage that Medicare considers "creditable," you can delay Part D without penalty. Your plan should send you a notice each year confirming this — hang on to it.

A few program-level facts to know for 2027:

• The Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once you hit that in covered drug costs, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
• The old coverage gap ("donut hole") is gone as of 2025 — Part D now has three phases instead of four.
• The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the calendar year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy.
• IRMAA surcharges (higher premiums for higher earners) begin above $109,000 in income for single filers in 2026.

What's available in the Topeka area

Topeka is in Shawnee County, where Medicare plan availability is set at the county level. When you're comparing options — whether Original Medicare with a standalone Part D plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan — the Medicare Plan Finder at medicare.gov will show you what's offered in Shawnee County based on your ZIP code and any drugs you take.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7 each year, when you can join, switch, or drop Medicare Advantage and Part D plans. If you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period is January 1 – March 31.