Turning 65 in Temecula or Murrieta: Your Medicare Checklist

Turning 65 brings a pile of mail: plan brochures, postcards, and maybe a letter from Social Security. When I sit down with someone in Temecula or Murrieta who’s about to turn 65, the first thing I do is slow things down. The decisions are important, but they come in a logical order. This checklist walks through that order so you know what to do and when.

Step 1: Know your Initial Enrollment Period

Your first chance to sign up for Medicare is your Initial Enrollment Period. It usually lasts seven months: the three months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the three months after (Medicare.gov). If you sign up during the three months before your birthday month, coverage generally starts the first day of your birthday month. Waiting until later in the window can delay your start date.

I tell my clients to put a reminder on the calendar about four months before their 65th birthday. That leaves time to gather information, ask questions, and avoid a rushed decision.

Step 2: Find out whether you’ll be enrolled automatically

If you already get Social Security (or Railroad Retirement) benefits before 65, you’re generally enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically, and your card arrives in the mail. If you’re not receiving benefits yet, you usually need to sign up through Social Security yourself, which you can do online (Medicare.gov: How do I sign up?). Many people in our area are still working at 65, or are delaying Social Security, so they fall in the second group.

Step 3: Decide about Part B, especially if you’re still working

Most people get Part A without a premium. Part B has a monthly premium, $202.90 in 2026 for most people according to the 2026 Medicare Costs booklet. If you or your spouse are still working and covered by a job-based group health plan, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty. The rules depend on things like the size of the employer. I cover this in detail in Working Past 65: Medicare and Employer Coverage.

If you don’t have qualifying coverage and you skip Part B, the penalty can be permanent. Medicare.gov explains that the Part B late enrollment penalty is generally 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn’t, added to your premium for as long as you have Part B (Medicare.gov: Avoid penalties).

Step 4: Choose your path

Once Parts A and B are set, there are two main ways to receive your coverage:

• Original Medicare plus extras: Parts A and B, usually paired with a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy and a separate Part D drug plan.
• Medicare Advantage (Part C): a Medicare-approved private plan that bundles your hospital and medical coverage, often with drug coverage, using a provider network.

Which plans and networks are available depends on your county and ZIP code. Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Sun City, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore and Hemet are in Riverside County, and Fallbrook is in San Diego County. For a side-by-side overview and current cost figures, see my article Medicare 2026 in Temecula & Murrieta.

Step 5: Don’t miss your Medigap Open Enrollment window

If you’re considering a Medigap policy, timing matters. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the six months starting the first month you’re both 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that window insurers generally can’t refuse to sell you a policy or charge more because of your health (Medicare.gov: Medigap). After that, insurers in most cases may use medical underwriting.

California adds an extra protection for people who already have Medigap: an annual birthday-based window to switch policies. I explain how it works in California’s Medigap Birthday Rule.

Step 6: Handle drug coverage on time

If you choose Original Medicare, think about a Part D plan when you first become eligible. If you go 63 days or more in a row without Part D or other creditable drug coverage after your Initial Enrollment Period ends, you may owe a Part D late enrollment penalty that generally lasts as long as you have drug coverage (Medicare.gov). Employer or retiree drug coverage may count as creditable. Your plan should send you a notice saying whether it does.

Step 7: Check whether you qualify for help

If your income and savings are limited, California’s Medicare Savings Programs and the federal Extra Help program can lower your costs. Some people qualify for both Medicare and Medi-Cal. I explain the rules, including California’s 2026 asset-limit changes, in Medicare and Medi-Cal Dual Eligibility in Riverside County. Higher earners should read about IRMAA, the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums.

A simple turning-65 timeline

• About 4–6 months before 65: list your doctors, prescriptions and pharmacies. Ask your employer how its coverage works with Medicare.
• 3 months before your birthday month: sign up for Parts A and B if you’re not enrolled automatically and don’t qualify to delay.
• Before Part B starts: compare Medigap plus Part D against Medicare Advantage for your ZIP code.
• First 6 months of Part B (age 65+): your Medigap Open Enrollment window.

You can also get free, unbiased counseling from California’s HICAP program (California Department of Aging: HICAP). When you’re ready to look at specific plans for your ZIP code, I’m happy to help. Call 760-297-0366 or request a free Medicare review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions about your own situation? Call me at 760-297-0366 or request a free Medicare review. I’m Cesar Ramirez with Temeku Insurance, CA License #0M47591, serving Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Sun City, Wildomar, Lake Elsinore, Hemet and Fallbrook.