Medicare and the Marketplace
Changing from Marketplace to Medicare
If you have Marketplace coverage and qualify for
or are soon turning 65, consider getting your health coverage through Medicare instead of the Marketplace.
Once you're eligible for Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance), you no longer qualify for savings on your Marketplace plan
or
. You'll have to pay full price for your Marketplace plan.
Sign up for Medicare when you're first eligible
Your first chance to sign up for Medicare (called your "Initial Enrollment Period") is usually when you turn 65. It lasts for 7 months, starting 3 months before you turn 65, and ending 3 months after you turn 65.
You may be eligible to get Medicare earlier if you have a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), or ALS (also called Lou Gehrig’s disease).
End your Marketplace coverage
Marketplace coverage doesn’t end automatically when Medicare starts. Update your Marketplace application to end Marketplace coverage for those starting Medicare. You can report a Medicare start date on your application up to 3 months before Medicare starts. After you submit your application update, make sure you confirm the plan for others in your household who need to keep their Marketplace coverage.
Marketplace coverage doesn't lower your out-of-pocket costs in Medicare. Medicare offers:
- Programs to help lower your Medicare premiums and costs. Learn about cost saving programs.
- Options to get more coverage — prescription drug coverage and extra benefits, like vision, hearing, dental, and more. Discover Medicare coverage options.