A lovely lady I spoke to was paying $600 a month for Medicare Parts A and B. Normally, the cost would have been $185 (it will be $202.90 in 2026) plus a supplement. Why was she paying so much more? She had failed to sign up when she turned 65. You MUST sign up within four months before and after your birthday, or you will pay a 10% penalty per year. As you can see from this true story, this gets expensive. Medicare does not care that you didn’t know, that you had dementia, or that you thought your employer was covering you (they may not be).
I told her I would use her story to remind you that when you turn 65, you need to call Social Security to enroll in Medicare.
