A worker stays on employer group coverage past age 65 and delays Medicare Part B. When the worker retires and the group coverage ends, the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Part B lasts:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
The Part B Special Enrollment Period is an 8-month window that begins when the employer group coverage ends or employment ends — whichever happens first — provided the worker (or spouse) was covered by group health insurance based on current active employment. Enrolling during the SEP allows the person to pick up Part B without the late-enrollment penalty. The 7-month window is the Initial Enrollment Period tied to the 65th birthday, which is a different enrollment window entirely. This SEP is a key working-after-65 exam fact.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) 7 months is the IEP around the month the person turns 65; the SEP after group coverage ends is 8 months. The IEP is a different 7-month window at age 65.
- C) The SEP is 8 months, not 12, from the end of coverage or employment. The SEP is 8 months, not 12, from the end of coverage or of employment, whichever comes first.
- D) 30 days is far shorter than the actual 8-month SEP window. The actual SEP window is 8 months after the group coverage ends or the job ends, not 30 days.
Memory hook
SEP = 8 months of penalty-free Part B after employer coverage ends. IEP is the birthday window; SEP is the working-life exit window.