The answer
What is the Special Enrollment Period for working past 65?
The Special Enrollment Period is a window that lets you enroll in Medicare after 65 without a late penalty if you delayed because you had active employer coverage.
It applies when you or your spouse worked and had qualifying coverage through a job, generally one with 20 or more employees. Once that employment or coverage ends, whichever comes first, you get 8 months to sign up for Part B (medical) without a penalty. Acting within that 8-month window matters, because waiting past it can leave you with a coverage gap and a permanent Part B late penalty. Retiree coverage, COBRA, and marketplace plans do not start this Special Enrollment Period. To make sure you use your window correctly, reach out to a licensed Goodsurance advisor at 1-888-301-8091 (TTY 711), Mon to Fri 8 am to 5 pm PT.