Turning 65 planner: your Medicare and TRICARE For Life dates
- From : sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B through Social Security. Some people get Medicare automatically and some have to sign up, so check which you are.
- By : have that done if you want Part B to start the day your Part A does.
- On : TRICARE For Life starts on its own once both parts are in effect. There is no enrollment and no TFL card: your Medicare card and your ID card are your proof of coverage.
- By : family members under 65 can request a plan change within 90 days of your Medicare effective date.
- Every year after: keep Part B. TRICARE says you lose TRICARE if you drop it or fail to pay the premium.
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The rules behind the dates
TRICARE says that if you are eligible for Medicare Part A, you must have Part B to keep TRICARE, even if you live overseas, and you lose TRICARE if you do not have Part B, drop it, or fail to pay the premium. That applies to retirees and to family members. TRICARE: retirees and family members.
Coverage always starts on the first of the month. Sign up before the month you turn 65 and Part B starts that month. Sign up that month or in the three after it, and Part B starts the next month. A birthday on the 1st moves Part A and your window a month earlier. Medicare: when coverage starts.
After your window, it is the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31 each year, and coverage starts the month after you sign up. The penalty is 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B and did not, added to the premium for as long as you have Part B. This page counts months from the end of your window to your signup, and Social Security sets the real figure. Medicare: avoid penalties.
With coverage from a current job, yours or your spouse's, you can wait on Part B: Social Security says you can delay it if you are covered through an employer group health plan, and Medicare has a Special Enrollment Period. TRICARE adds the catch: you will not have TRICARE coverage without Part B. If your sponsor is on active duty, TRICARE says you may delay Part B without a penalty. TRICARE and Medicare.
Medicare can start early for a disability, including in the 25th month of Social Security disability payments, or for end-stage renal disease or ALS. The Part A and Part B rule is the same, and under 65 you can enroll in a TRICARE Prime option or use TRICARE For Life. TRICARE: becoming Medicare eligible.
You are not required to have Medicare Part D to have TRICARE drug coverage, and you can have both. With a Medicare Advantage plan, TRICARE can reimburse your copays for TFL services, and you may need to file your own claims. TRICARE: becoming Medicare eligible.
Before you decide
Social Security handles Medicare enrollment, and TRICARE decides TRICARE eligibility through DEERS. These dates are an estimate from the rules above, not a determination. Your Medicare card and Social Security's notice show your real dates. Special situations, such as living overseas, not qualifying for premium-free Part A, or a Special Enrollment Period, can change them. Nothing here is personal advice. See Full disclosures.
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Sources
Read October 31, 2026. Medicare: when coverage starts, avoid penalties, costs, how to sign up. Social Security: sign up for Medicare. TRICARE: TRICARE For Life, TRICARE and Medicare, retirees and family members, becoming Medicare eligible.
