Key takeaways
- Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months: 3 months before your 65th-birthday month, that month and 3 months after.
- You sign up for Parts A and B through Social Security, online at ssa.gov, by phone or in person.
- Part A has no monthly premium if you or your spouse worked 40 quarters (10 years) paying Medicare taxes.
- Your Medigap open enrollment period is a one-time, 6-month window that starts when you’re 65 and enrolled in Part B.
- Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE and licensed local agents can help you sort through your choices.
When can you sign up for Medicare in Ohio?
You can sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period, a 7-month window that begins 3 months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month and ends 3 months after. These rules are federal, so they work the same way in Ohio as they do in every other state.
Here’s a quick example. If you turn 65 in June, your window opens March 1 and closes September 30. Signing up in the months before your birthday month generally lets your coverage start right when you turn 65, which helps you avoid a gap between your old health coverage and Medicare. Waiting until later in the window can delay your start date.
Not sure exactly where your window falls? Our Medicare enrollment window tool can map out the dates for your birthday in a few seconds. It’s a planning aid rather than an official determination, so confirm your exact dates with Social Security, especially if your birthday falls on the first day of a month.
If you already receive Social Security benefits before 65, you’re generally enrolled in Parts A and B automatically, and your Medicare card arrives in the mail. You can still decide whether to keep Part B if you have other qualifying coverage.
What do Medicare Part A and Part B cover, and what do they cost?
Part A is hospital insurance, and Part B is medical insurance; together they make up Original Medicare. Most people pay no monthly premium for Part A, while Part B has a standard monthly premium that was $202.90 in 2026. CMS announces the 2027 Part B amounts each fall, so watch for the update.
Part A comes with no premium if you or your spouse worked at least 40 quarters, about 10 years, paying Medicare taxes. Part B has an annual deductible, which was $283 in 2026, and after you meet it you typically pay a share of the cost for most covered services. Neither part covers everything, which is why most people add more coverage.
Higher-income households may pay more for Part B and Part D through an adjustment called IRMAA, which is based on income from two years earlier. Our IRMAA calculator gives you an estimate. Kris is a licensed insurance agent, not a tax adviser, so please talk with your tax professional about income planning.
| Part A | Part B | |
|---|---|---|
| What it covers | Inpatient hospital, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, some home health | Doctor visits, outpatient care, lab tests, preventive services, medical equipment |
| Monthly premium | No premium with 40 quarters of Medicare-taxed work | $202.90 standard (2026) |
| Deductible | Per benefit period | $283 per year (2026) |
How do you sign up for Medicare through Social Security?
If you aren’t enrolled automatically, you sign up for Parts A and B through the Social Security Administration. You can apply online at ssa.gov, call 1-800-772-1213 or visit a local Social Security office. For many people, applying online is the quickest route, and you can save your progress and come back if you need to look something up.
Have a few things ready before you start: your Social Security number, your birth date, information about any current health coverage, and your employer’s details if you’re still working. If you’re applying for Part B after leaving a job, you may also need a form signed by your employer that shows the dates of your group health coverage.
After you apply, keep your confirmation number and watch your mail. Your red, white and blue Medicare card will show your Medicare number and your Part A and Part B start dates. You’ll need those dates to enroll in a Medigap, Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, so keep the card somewhere safe and easy to find.
A word of caution: Medicare and Social Security generally won’t phone you out of the blue asking for your Medicare number, bank details or Social Security number. If someone does, hang up and call the official number yourself. Treat your new Medicare card like a credit card, and share the number only with doctors, pharmacies and plans you trust.
- Online: ssa.gov
- Phone: Social Security, 1-800-772-1213
- In person: your local Social Security office
- Questions about Medicare itself: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
What if you’re still working when you turn 65?
If you have health coverage through your own or your spouse’s current job at an employer with 20 or more employees, that plan is usually primary, and you can usually delay Part B without a penalty. Many people still take Part A at 65, since it typically comes with no premium.
When that job or coverage ends, you get an 8-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B, starting when the employment or the group coverage ends, whichever happens first. Don’t wait for the last month to act. Remember that your Medigap open enrollment period also begins as soon as your Part B coverage starts.
Smaller employers and retiree plans follow different rules, and COBRA generally doesn’t count as coverage from current employment. Delaying the wrong way can lead to a lifelong penalty. Our guide to avoiding Medicare late enrollment penalties explains what to confirm with your benefits office, in writing, before you decide to wait.
What is the Medigap open enrollment period, and why does it matter?
Your Medigap open enrollment period is a one-time, 6-month window that starts the month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During it, federal rules let you buy any Medigap plan sold in your area without being turned down or charged more because of your health history.
After this window closes, insurers in most cases may ask health questions before approving a Medigap application. If you have conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or a recent cancer diagnosis, you could be declined or offered a higher rate. That’s why the timing of your Part B start date matters so much, even if you feel perfectly healthy today.
If you think a Medicare Supplement plan may suit you, now or in the future, it’s worth weighing that choice carefully during this window. Plan G and Plan N are the most common choices for people new to Medicare since 2020, and an agent can compare carrier pricing for your ZIP code.
If you’re leaning toward Medicare Advantage instead, that’s a valid choice too. Just go in with your eyes open. Knowing that this guaranteed window exists, and that it won’t come around again in the same way, helps you make a decision you’re truly comfortable living with for years to come, not just for the first plan year.
Your Medigap open enrollment clock starts with Part B. If you’re still covered by a large employer plan and don’t need Part B yet, starting it early can use up this one-time window before you need it.
Should you choose Medigap, Medicare Advantage or a Part D plan next?
After Parts A and B, most Ohioans take one of two paths: Original Medicare with a Medigap plan and a separate Part D drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles hospital, medical and often drug coverage. Each path has real trade-offs in monthly cost, flexibility and provider networks.
A Medigap plan works alongside Original Medicare and generally lets you see any provider that accepts Medicare. A Medicare Advantage plan uses a network and has an annual in-network out-of-pocket maximum set by the plan. Many Medicare Advantage plans include drug coverage, while with Medigap you’ll add a separate Part D plan.
Whichever route you take, make sure you have creditable drug coverage once you’re eligible, so you avoid the Part D late enrollment penalty, which generally lasts for as long as you have drug coverage. For a side-by-side look at costs, networks, travel and switching rules, Kris can lay out both paths using plans available where you live.
Where can Ohio residents get unbiased Medicare help?
Ohio residents have several places to turn. Social Security handles enrollment in Parts A and B at ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213, and it also takes applications for Extra Help with drug costs. If your income and resources are limited, the Ohio Department of Medicaid or your county Job and Family Services office can tell you whether you qualify for Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program.
In the Toledo area, the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio also offers resources for older adults and the people who care for them, from caregiver support to help finding local services. Medicare itself answers questions at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), and Medicare.gov has plan information and official publications you can read at your own pace.
When you’re ready to compare actual plans and enroll, a licensed independent agent can help you see options from multiple carriers in a single conversation. Kris’s clients are located all across northwest Ohio, including Toledo and the surrounding communities, and she’s happy to answer questions before you’re ready to choose anything.
How can Kris help you get ready for 65?
Kris Kryder can walk you through your enrollment timeline, explain how Parts A and B fit with Medigap, Medicare Advantage and Part D, and compare plans from the carriers she represents. The consultation is no-cost and no-obligation, and you can meet in person at the Perrysburg office on South Boundary Street.
Call (419) 277-8097, Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, or request a quote online. Phone and video meetings are available too. Bring your Medicare card, a list of your doctors and your prescriptions, and Kris will help you put the pieces together at a pace that feels comfortable, one step at a time.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently, we represent 14 organizations which offer 119 products in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. This is a proprietary website and is not associated, endorsed or authorized by the Social Security Administration, the Department of Health and Human Services or the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. This site contains decision-support content and information about Medicare, services related to Medicare and services for people with Medicare. If you would like to find more information about the Medicare program please visit the Official U.S. Government Site for People with Medicare located at www.medicare.gov.
This article is general education, not a recommendation for any specific plan. Figures were current as of September 22, 2026; plan details change every year.