What happens when you lose your group health insurance during your Medicare initial enrollment period?
When a person turns 65, they are in the initial enrollment period for Medicare. This period begins three months before the 65th birthday month, includes the birthday month and ends three months after the birthday month (seven months in other words.) When a person enrolls in Part A and B before the birthday month, Medicare will begin the first day of the birthday month. If the person waits until his birthday month to enroll, he will not be effective on Part B until two months after his birthday month. (Part A will be effective on the first of the birthday month.) If he waits until the month after his birthday month, Part B is pushed out another month further making it three months. Finally, if he waits until the third month after his birthday month, he will be on Medicare Part B, four months after his birthday month.
Even if a person loses his group health plan during this initial enrollment period, the procedure above takes precedent. For example, if a person turns 65 in October and finds out in December that he is losing his group plan January 1 and he enrolls in Medicare in December, he will not be effective on Medicare until March 1.