You are only allowed to enroll in Medicare during certain life milestones and certain times of the year. Here are the dates to mark on your calendar:
If you are a first-time enrollee, you can sign up for Medicare in the period of time starting 3 months before and the 3 months after your birthday.
Anyone 65 and older can sign up for original Medicare from January 1 to March 31. Coverage would begin on July 1.
If you want to make a change to your coverage, you can do so from January 1 to March 31.
If you want to enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can do so from October 15 to December 7, which is open enrollment. Your coverage would begin in January.
Learn more about enrollment deadlines.