• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Ask Liz Weston

Get smart with your money

  • About
  • Liz’s Books
  • Speaking
  • Disclosure
  • Contact

Q&A: Delaying Medicare enrollment? What to know

June 2, 2025 By Liz Weston Leave a Comment

Dear Liz: When my husband was approaching 65, he was employed and covered by a high-deductible healthcare plan with a health savings account by his employer. Neither his employer nor our local Social Security office had concrete advice on how to proceed about enrolling in Medicare, but after tremendous research, he eventually delayed enrollment. Now I am approaching 65. My husband is still working, and I am still covered by his health insurance, although both are in his name. Do I enroll in Medicare at the appropriate time or do I delay enrollment like he did?

Answer: Delaying Medicare enrollment can result in penalties that can increase your premiums for life. If you or a spouse is still working for an employer with 20 or more employees, however, generally you can opt to keep the employer-provided health insurance and delay applying for Medicare without being penalized. If you lose the coverage or employment ends, you’ll have eight months to sign up before being penalized.

Delaying your Medicare enrollment also allows your husband to continue making contributions on your behalf to his health savings account. In 2025, the HSA contribution limit is $4,300 for self-only coverage and $8,550 for family coverage, plus a $1,000 catch-up contribution for account holders 55 and older. Once you enroll in Medicare, HSA contributions are no longer allowed.

Medicare itself suggests reaching out to the employer’s benefits department to confirm you are appropriately covered and can delay your application. Let’s hope that by now your employer’s human resources department has gotten up to speed on this important topic.

Related Posts

  • Q&A: Beware of penalties that can come with delaying Medicare enrollment

    Dear Liz: I have a high-deductible insurance plan from my employer and I contribute to a…

  • Q&A: Avoiding Medicare late enrollment penalties

    Dear Liz: I have taken multiple in-person and online educational classes about Medicare prior to my…

  • Q&A: How to avoid Medicare late enrollment penalties

    Dear Liz: I am 65, still working and have health insurance through my employer. I…

  • Q&A: Avoiding Medicare sign-up penalties

    Dear Liz: Someone recently asked you if signing up for Medicare is mandatory. Your answer…

Filed Under: Medicare, Q&A Tagged With: delaying Medicare enrollment, Medicare deadlines, Medicare enrollment, Medicare penalties

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Copyright © 2025 · Ask Liz Weston 2.0 On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in