Can I stay on my employer's insurance when I turn 65?
Asked by: Prof. Alison Ebert | Last update: January 23, 2026Score: 4.7/5 (39 votes)
Can I keep my employer health insurance after 65?
First off, it's important to understand that turning 65 makes you eligible for Medicare, but it doesn't automatically mean you have to drop your existing employer-provided health insurance. You can indeed keep your employee insurance coverage even after applying for Medicare, but the specifics depend on a few factors.
What happens if you plan to keep working after age 65?
If you continue to work after reaching age 65, you technically become eligible for Medicare, but you may or may not want to enroll right away. Here's the dilemma: Your employer must continue to cover all eligible workers, regardless of age, under its group health insurance—yet Medicare is telling you to sign up now.
Can I drop my employer health insurance and go on Medicare?
You can sign up for Medicare and drop your employer health plan. Not the other way around because you'd need Medicare entitlement as a qualifying life event to cancel your employer health plan outside of open enrollment.
Can my employer force me to enroll in Medicare at age 65?
Companies with 20 or more employees are required to continue offering health insurance to current workers and their spouses who are 65 or older. If you're insured under a plan from a company of that size, you have the option to enroll in Medicare and decline your group plan, but the employer can't force this decision.
Can My Employer Drop My Health Insurance When I Turn 65? - InsuranceGuide360.com
What are the consequences of not signing up for Medicare at age 65?
If you waited 2 full years (24 months) to sign up for Part B and didn't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, you'll have to pay a 20% late enrollment penalty (10% for each full 12-month period that you could have signed up), plus the standard Part B monthly premium ($185 in 2025).
Do I have to get Medicare if I have employer coverage?
If an employer has fewer than 20 employees, generally you will need to enroll in Medicare during your Initial Enrollment Period. If you have health coverage through a spouse's employer, what you can do will depend on the employer's rules. You may be able to delay or you may need to enroll at age 65.
Is Medicare Part B mandatory at age 65?
1. If You Are Approaching or at Age 65. If you are approaching age 65 and you already receive Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits through early retirement, you will be automatically enrolled in Medicare Parts A (hospital insurance) and B (medical insurance) when you turn 65.
Can you have Medicare and employer insurance at the same time?
Can I combine employer health insurance with Medicare? If you or your spouse are working and covered through an employer, you can also decide to keep this coverage and enroll in Original Medicare, Part A and/or Part B to get additional health coverage.
When can you cancel employer health insurance?
You generally can't cancel your policy anytime if you have group health insurance through your employer. To cancel your employer's healthcare plan outside your company's open enrollment period, you must experience a QLE. This will trigger a SEP. If you have COBRA, you can cancel at any time.
Can I retire at 65 and work full time?
You can get Social Security retirement benefits and work at the same time. However, if you are younger than full retirement age and make more than the yearly earnings limit, we will reduce your benefits. Starting with the month you reach full retirement age, we will not reduce your benefits no matter how much you earn.
At what age is Social Security no longer taxed?
Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
What happens when I turn 65 and still working?
Many people choose to keep working past 65 and keep their coverage under their employer's group plan. But if you've been paying into Medicare via payroll deductions, you may as well enroll in Original Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) when you're first eligible, as you'll pay no premium.
Does everyone have to pay $170 a month for Medicare?
Most people pay no premiums for Part A. For Medicare Part B in 2025, most beneficiaries will pay $185 per month. Certain factors may require you to pay more or less than the standard Medicare Part B premium in 2025.
What happens to health insurance at age 65?
You do not have to enroll in Medicare right away, and you can keep your current group health insurance. An individual will not receive a late penalty if they have coverage under a group health plan with 20 or more employees. You do have to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B.
Can I drop my employer health insurance and go on Medicare at any time?
So the answer is yes, you may drop your employer health insurance to go on Medicare (assuming you're at least 65). If you are a United States citizen aged 65 or older, you're eligible for Medicare – even if you already have a group health plan (GHP) through your job.
How much does Medicare cost at age 65?
If you don't get premium-free Part A, you pay up to $518 each month. If you don't buy Part A when you're first eligible for Medicare (usually when you turn 65), you might pay a penalty. Most people pay the standard Part B monthly premium amount ($185 in 2025).
What happens to my Medicaid when I turn 65?
To be clear, Medicaid remains available after age 65 and many older adults rely on it — for example, the majority of nursing home residents in the United States have Medicaid coverage in addition to their Medicare coverage. But once you turn 65, eligibility for Medicaid is based on both income and assets.
Is there a penalty for not enrolling in Medicare Part B at age 65?
For each 12-month period you delay enrollment in Medicare Part B, you will have to pay a 10% Part B premium penalty, unless you have insurance based on your or your spouse's current work (job-based insurance) or are eligible for a Medicare Savings Program (MSP).
What insurance do you get when you turn 65?
Medicare is health insurance for people 65 or older.
Do I need part B Medicare if I am still working?
You may be required to get Medicare Part B even when you're still working. There are two situations in which you must get Part B when you turn 65. If your employer has fewer than 20 employees. If you're covered by a spouse's employer, and the employer requires covered dependents to enroll in Medicare when they turn 65.
Is Medicare primary over employer insurance?
If you work for a company with fewer than 20 employees, Medicare is considered your primary coverage. That means Medicare pays first, and your employer coverage pays second. If you work for a larger company, your employer-based coverage will be your primary coverage and Medicare your secondary coverage.
Do I have to contact Medicare at 65 if still working?
If you (or your spouse) have health insurance from a job:
If you or your spouse are still working, you may be able to wait to sign up for Medicare without paying a late enrollment penalty. Where you have group health insurance that's available to everyone at the company.
Can I have an employer plan and a Medicare Advantage plan?
In other cases, if you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you may still be able to use your employer or union coverage along with the Medicare Advantage Plan you join. Your employer or union may also offer a Medicare Advantage retiree health plan that they sponsor.