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Your Turning 65 Checklist

Medicare decisions are easier when they are broken into a timeline. Here is what to look at before, during, and after your birthday month — written out in full, at no cost to you.

Book a Coverage Review

To speak with a licensed insurance agent, call (662) 210-2200. TTY: 711.

The timeline

Three windows, three sets of decisions

Your Initial Enrollment Period is built around your birthday month. Working through it in order keeps the choices from stacking up.

3 months before your birthday month

This is when your Initial Enrollment Period generally opens, and when the decisions are easiest to make calmly.

  • Confirm whether you are enrolling in Part A and Part B now, or delaying Part B because you have active employer coverage.
  • Decide between Original Medicare paired with a Medicare Supplement, or a Medicare Advantage plan.
  • Review whether you need a stand-alone Part D prescription drug plan, or whether drug coverage is bundled in the plan you are considering.
  • Write down your current doctors, preferred hospital, and every medication you take — that list drives the entire comparison.

Your birthday month

Applications submitted in this window are the ones most likely to line up cleanly with your coverage start date.

  • Submit your application for the coverage you selected, and keep a copy of the confirmation.
  • Confirm your Part B start date, especially if you delayed it because of employer coverage.
  • Check that your doctors and preferred hospital participate for the plan year that is beginning.
  • If you are leaving an employer plan, ask your employer or plan administrator for written confirmation of when that coverage ends.

3 months after your birthday month

The Initial Enrollment Period generally continues here, but waiting can affect your start date and, for drug coverage, your premium.

  • Verify your Medicare card and plan materials arrived and that the effective dates match what you expected.
  • Confirm your prescriptions are being filled at the cost tier you were shown, and flag anything that looks off.
  • Make sure you have creditable prescription drug coverage in place to avoid a lasting late enrollment penalty.
  • Set a reminder to review your plan each fall during the Annual Enrollment Period, October 15 through December 7.

To speak with a licensed insurance agent, call (662) 210-2200. TTY: 711.

This checklist is general education, not personalized advice. Timelines and the right order of steps can vary based on individual circumstances, including active employer coverage, retiree coverage, or a Special Enrollment Period.

Turning 65 soon? Let's walk the checklist together.

No pressure, no obligation — just a conversation with a licensed insurance agent about the options available to you.

Book a Coverage Review

To speak with a licensed insurance agent, call (662) 210-2200. TTY: 711.

Medicare Compliance Statement

This website represents no obligation to enroll. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the government or Federal Medicare program. Magnolia Family Insurance is an independent insurance agency. We represent multiple insurance carriers to help you find the plan that best fits your needs.

Medicare has neither reviewed nor endorsed this information. As an independent agency, Magnolia Family Insurance offers comparison services to find the best plan for your needs from multiple carriers. For a complete list of available plans please contact 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users should call 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day/7 days a week, or consult www.medicare.gov.