Yes — With Some Rules Attached
If you’re turning 65 and still working, you can absolutely have both Medicare and employer group health coverage at the same time. Whether that’s the right move — and whether you need to enroll in Medicare Part B right away — depends mostly on the size of the employer.
The 20-Employee Threshold
If your employer (or your spouse’s) has 20 or more employees, the employer plan is generally primary and Medicare pays secondary. Many people with group health coverage based on current employment can delay Part B and use a Special Enrollment Period later. Confirm with the benefits administrator how the plan pays before delaying; employer size affects payment order, not whether drug coverage is creditable.
If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare generally becomes primary once you’re eligible, and the employer plan pays secondary (or sometimes stops covering you meaningfully at all). In that case, delaying Part B usually isn’t a good idea — you’d effectively have a coverage gap even though you’re technically still “covered” by two plans.
Part B and Part D Have Different Rules
For Part D, “creditable” prescription drug coverage is expected to pay, on average, at least as much as standard Medicare drug coverage. Ask your benefits administrator for the plan’s creditable-coverage notice and keep it. For Part B, the usual employment-based Special Enrollment Period requires group health coverage based on your or your spouse’s current employment. Creditable drug coverage alone does not establish that Part B exception.
What Happens When Employment Ends
If you qualify for the employment-based Part B Special Enrollment Period, you generally have 8 months after employment or group health coverage ends, whichever happens first, to sign up. COBRA and retiree coverage do not extend this window. Part D uses separate enrollment and penalty rules: do not assume the Part B 8-month window applies to drug coverage. Ask Medicare and your benefits administrator about your specific dates before coverage ends.
Official sources: Medicare: working past 65 and creditable prescription drug coverage.
Don’t Assume — Verify Your Specific Situation
Employer size, plan design, and creditable-coverage status all affect the right timing for you individually. Before assuming you can safely delay Medicare, or assuming you need to enroll immediately, it’s worth confirming the specifics of your employer plan rather than going on a general rule of thumb.
Have questions? Schedule a free review with Kayla Price, a licensed insurance agent at Price Services Group. Call 866-648-1578 or visit priceservicesgroup.com/schedule.
For the basics of how Medicare’s parts work together, LearnMedicare.org’s free course is a helpful starting point.
Price Services Group, LLC is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. NPN: 18530055 | Agency NPN: 20387435