I will retire Jul 1 2019.from a NYC agency. I become 65 5/22/19. My spouse has been retired and covered under my medical. We both will sign up for Medicare Part B. Will he be penalized for waiting until now that he is 69? His DOB 9/13/49. He collects SSA check since 2011 when he retired at 62. Do we apply online or in SSA office? When do I apply, since I retire 7/1/19?

Hi,

Your husband won't be penalized with higher than normal Part B Medicare premiums as long as he's been covered under your employer group health plan (EGHP), and if that plan would have been his primary coverage if he had signed up for Part B sooner. If he wants his Part B coverage to begin effective with July 2019, he'll need to apply sometime between April - July 2019. He will also need to submit proof of his coverage through your EGHP in order to avoid late filing penalties. The form Social Security uses for that purpose is a form CMS-L564 (https://www.cms.gov/medicare/CMS-Forms/CMS-Forms/Downloads/CMS-L564E.pdf). Your husband could file for Part B coverage by mailing in the appropriate forms, but I would recommend calling or visiting a Social Security office instead.

You could apply for your Social Security and Medicare either online, or by phone or in person at a Social Security office. If you want to start drawing your Social Security retirement benefits effective with July 2019, you could apply for benefits anytime between March - July 2019. However, the effective date of your Part B Medicare coverage will depend on the month you apply. Since you reach age 65 in May 2019, if you apply for Part B coverage before May your Part B coverage will automatically start effective May 1 2019. If you apply in May 2019, your coverage will start June 1 2019. If you apply in June 2019, your coverage will start August 1 2019. Based on a quirk in the rules, there would be no way for you to choose to start your Part B coverage effective with July 1 2019 (https://secure.ssa.gov/apps10/poms.nsf/lnx/0600805165).

Before filing for your Social Security retirement benefits, you should strongly consider using our software to explore and compare your options so that you can choose the best possible strategy for claiming your benefits.

Best, Jerry