An employee who keeps working past age 65 with employer group health coverage, then retires and loses that coverage, has a special enrollment period (SEP) of how many months to enroll in Medicare Part B without penalty?

Why A is correct

A person covered by employer group health coverage after turning 65 can delay Part B and later enroll during an 8-month special enrollment period that begins when the employment ends or the group coverage ends, whichever comes first. Enrolling within this SEP avoids the Part B late enrollment penalty. This protection exists so that people who legitimately kept working coverage are not penalized.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) 3 months does not match the SEP; the window is 8 months.
• C) 6 months is the Medigap open enrollment period, not the Part B employer-coverage SEP.
• D) 12 months exceeds the SEP; the correct window is 8 months.

Memory hook

Working past 65 with group coverage? You get an 8-month SEP when it ends.

Why A is correct

The Medicare Part B special enrollment period (SEP) allows individuals covered by active employer group health coverage to delay enrollment without penalty. The SEP lasts for eight months after the month the group coverage ends or employment ends, whichever occurs first. Enrolling during the SEP avoids the lifetime Part B late enrollment penalty of 10% for each full 12-month period of delay. The eight-month window is distinct from the seven-month initial enrollment period around the 65th birthday and from the general enrollment period.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Two months is too short; the SEP provides an eight-month window.
• C) Twelve months is not the SEP duration; the SEP is eight months.
• D) Six months is not the SEP; the correct window is eight months after coverage or employment ends.

Memory hook

After the job plan ends, the SEP gives you an eight-month runway to land on Part B penalty-free.