Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
An employee who delays enrolling in Medicare Part B while covered by employer group health coverage has a special enrollment period (SEP) of how long after that coverage ends?
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
People who delay Part B enrollment because they are covered by employer group health coverage are entitled to a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) of 8 months after the employer coverage ends (or after employment ends, whichever comes first). Enrolling within the 8-month SEP avoids the Part B late enrollment penalty. The 8-month SEP is distinct from the 7-month Initial Enrollment Period and the annual General Enrollment Period of January through March — three different windows tested on the A&H exam.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Seven months is the length of the Initial Enrollment Period around the 65th birthday, not the employer-coverage SEP.
- C) Three months is the portion of the IEP before the birthday month, not the SEP duration.
- D) Twelve months matches no standard Part B enrollment window; the employer-coverage SEP is 8 months.
Memory hook
SEP = 8 months to catch the Part B bus after your employer coverage pulls away.