Yes, you can still enroll in Medicare Part B even if you missed your initial enrollment period. Medicare offers a General Enrollment Period from January 1st through March 31st each year where you can sign up for Part A or Part B if you weren’t enrolled when first eligible.
However, there’s an important cost consideration. If you don’t enroll in Part B when first eligible, you’ll pay a late enrollment penalty of 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn’t sign up. This penalty is added to your monthly premium for as long as you have Part B, so the longer you wait, the more expensive it becomes.
There is an exception to this penalty. If you were still working and covered under an employer group health plan when you turned 65, you can defer Medicare enrollment without penalty. You’ll qualify for an 8-month Special Enrollment Period that begins either the month after your employment ends or the month after your employer coverage ends, whichever happens first. This allows you to enroll in Medicare without facing late enrollment penalties, making it a much more affordable option than waiting for the General Enrollment Period.
