Medicare Part D
Turning 65 in Portland? Don't Miss Your 7-Month Medicare Window
PORTLAND, Ore. — If a 65th birthday is on your calendar this year, one of the most important dates in your financial life is already ticking. Medicare's Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a seven-month window built around that birthday — and missing it can mean lifelong penalties and a wait for coverage.
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Click to call 855-729-3240Key takeaways
- Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts seven months, starting three months before your 65th birthday month and ending three months after it.
- Enrollment isn't automatic unless you're already getting Social Security benefits before turning 65; otherwise you must sign up yourself.
- Delaying Part B without qualifying employer coverage, or going 63+ days without creditable drug coverage, can lead to a permanent late-enrollment penalty added to your premium.
- Which Medicare Advantage and Part D plans are available to you is based on your county of residence, and Star Ratings from CMS are a quality comparison tool, not a recommendation.
Here's a plain-English guide to what the IEP is, when it opens, and the first steps to take.
The 7-month window, explained
Your Initial Enrollment Period starts three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and runs for three months after. That's seven months total.
For example, if you turn 65 in June, your IEP runs from March 1 through September 30.
- Sign up in the three months before your birthday month: coverage begins the first day of your birthday month.
- Sign up during or after your birthday month: coverage starts the first day of the month after you enroll.
Enrolling early in your window is the simplest way to avoid a gap in coverage. (Source: Medicare.gov — Medicare enrollment periods.)
What you're actually signing up for
Medicare has parts, and it helps to know them before you make choices:
- Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing, hospice, and some home health. Most people pay no premium because of their work history.
- Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, and preventive services. It has a monthly premium set by CMS each year.
- Part D covers prescription drugs, offered through private plans that follow federal rules.
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an alternative way to get Parts A and B (and usually D) through a private plan.
- Medigap (Medicare Supplement) is separate coverage that helps pay costs Original Medicare doesn't.
You don't have to figure out every piece on day one — but you do need to make an active choice about Part B and drug coverage during your IEP.
The mistakes that cost people money
A few common missteps trip up new enrollees:
1. Assuming enrollment is automatic. It only is if you're already receiving Social Security benefits before 65. Everyone else must sign up through the Social Security Administration. 2. Skipping Part B when you don't have qualifying coverage. If you don't have employer coverage from active work (yours or a spouse's), delaying Part B can trigger a permanent late-enrollment penalty added to your premium — for life. 3. Skipping Part D. Going without creditable drug coverage for 63+ days after your IEP also creates a lifelong monthly penalty. 4. Confusing COBRA or retiree coverage with active employer coverage. For Medicare's purposes, they are not the same. Talk to your benefits administrator before you drop anything.
What's new for 2027
A few program-wide numbers are worth knowing as you plan:
- Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your covered drug costs reach that ceiling, you pay nothing more for covered drugs for the rest of the calendar year.
- Maximum Part D deductible: $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
- No more "donut hole." The old coverage gap was eliminated in 2025; Part D now has three phases.
- Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread drug costs across the year in monthly installments rather than paying at the pharmacy counter.
- IRMAA surcharges — higher Part B and Part D premiums for higher earners — start above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.
What's available in Portland
Portland sits in Multnomah County, where Medicare plan availability is set at the county level by CMS. That means the menu of Medicare Advantage and standalone Part D plans a Portland resident can choose from is determined by your county of residence, not your ZIP code alone. For exact counts and options where you live, the Plan Finder at Medicare.gov is the official source.
Star Ratings — the 1-to-5 scores CMS publishes each fall — are one tool to compare plan quality on things like customer service and drug safety. They're a data point, not a recommendation.
Your first steps, in order
1. About 3 months before your 65th birthday, go to SSA.gov or call Social Security to enroll in Parts A and B (unless you're delaying Part B for valid employer coverage). 2. Confirm any current coverage — from an employer, a spouse's employer, TRICARE, the VA, or a marketplace plan — and ask whether it's "creditable" for Medicare purposes. 3. Decide your path: Original Medicare (often paired with a Medigap policy and a standalone Part D plan) or Medicare Advantage. 4. Use Medicare.gov's Plan Finder to compare options in Multnomah County based on your doctors and prescriptions. 5. Get free, unbiased help from Oregon's SHIBA program (Oregon's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, or SHIP).
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Multnomah County
(MA penetration in Multnomah County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Key dates
Medicare enrollment periods at a glance
- Around your 65thInitial Enrollment PeriodA 7-month window around the month you turn 65 — your first chance to sign up.
- October 15 – December 7Annual Enrollment PeriodAnyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan.
- January 1 – March 31Medicare Advantage Open EnrollmentIf you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can make one change.
- January 1 – March 31General Enrollment PeriodFor people who missed their first chance to sign up for Part B.
- VariesSpecial Enrollment PeriodTriggered by life events like moving or losing other coverage.
Dates are set by Medicare and apply nationwide. Confirm your personal windows at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.