Can you delay Medicare Part B?
Sometimes. It depends on what kind of coverage you have instead.
Part B has a premium ($202.90 a month in 2026 for most people), so it's natural to ask whether you can skip it while you have other insurance. The answer depends on whether that insurance is based on current employment, and on the employer's size.
When delaying is usually safe
If you or your spouse are still working and covered by that employer's group health plan, you can delay Part B without a penalty. When the job or the coverage ends, whichever comes first, you have 8 months to sign up.
If the employer has 20 or more employees, the group plan generally pays first and Medicare second, so delaying Part B usually leaves you fully covered. Confirm with the plan.
When delaying can backfire
- Small employers (fewer than 20 employees): Medicare usually pays first. If you don't have Part B, the employer plan may pay little or nothing for Part B services.
- COBRA: it isn't current-employment coverage. The 8-month window starts when the job ends, not when COBRA ends.
- Retiree coverage: usually pays after Medicare and often requires you to have Part B.
- VA health care: it doesn't let you delay Part B without a penalty, and VA and Medicare can't pay for the same service.
- Marketplace (ACA) plans: once you're eligible for Medicare, you generally can't keep premium tax credits, and a Marketplace plan doesn't protect you from the penalty.
- TRICARE For Life: requires Part A and Part B.
How to sign up later
When you're ready, submit the Part B application (CMS-40B) with the employer's form confirming your group coverage (CMS-L564) to Social Security. Keep copies. If you can't get the employer's form, other proof such as pay stubs showing health premiums may be accepted.
Part A is usually worth taking anyway
If Part A is premium-free for you, most people take it at 65 even while delaying Part B. The main exception is if you contribute to a Health Savings Account, since you can't contribute once you have any part of Medicare.
Common questions
Yes, if your spouse is still working and the coverage is based on that current employment. The same employer-size rules apply.
Group health plans through a union based on current employment are treated the same way. Ask the plan how it coordinates with Medicare.
Want help with your own choices?
Every state runs a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) with trained counselors who give free, unbiased Medicare help and do not sell plans. Find yours on our Medicare by state pages, or call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week).
Planning the rest of your coverage in retirement? We can help with life insurance later in life and final expense coverage.
Sources
- Working past 65, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- When does Medicare coverage start?, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
- How Medicare Works with Other Insurance, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked September 29, 2026.
- When can I sign up for Medicare?, Medicare.gov. Checked September 29, 2026.
General information about the federal Medicare program, not advice about your situation. Figures are for 2026 unless stated and change every year; last reviewed September 29, 2026. Quote My Policy is a private company. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Quote My Policy does not sell Medicare plans on this site. For plan-specific help, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.