Sun City Hilton Head
Moving to Sun City at 55 is common. Medicare starts at 65, and missing your window can cost you for life. Here is the timeline for Sun City residents.
Many people move to Sun City at 55 or 60, long before Medicare. Here is how to line up your enrollment so you do not pay a penalty.
Your Initial Enrollment Period is seven months long. It starts three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and runs three months after. Signing up before your birthday month usually means your coverage starts on the first day of your birthday month.
If you or your spouse are still working and have group health coverage through an employer, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty. When that coverage or the job ends, you generally get an eight-month special enrollment period to sign up for Part B. Get it in writing from your employer's benefits office that the coverage counts.
If you have retiree coverage or COBRA, do not assume you can delay Part B. Those usually do not protect you from the late penalty. Ask before you turn 65.
If you miss your window, your Part B premium goes up 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had it and did not. You pay that for as long as you have Part B.
At 65 you decide between Original Medicare with a Medicare Supplement and a drug plan, or a Medicare Advantage plan. The right choice depends on your doctors, your drugs, your budget, and how much you travel. Your options also depend on your county.
Skyler Abilla is a licensed Medicare agent who lives near Sun City. Call (843) 284-6815 or book a free call. A good time to talk is about three months before your birthday.
Source: Medicare.gov enrollment rules; Sun City Hilton Head Community Association (55+ community).
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