When you miss the IEP (based on age or disability), you have to wait until the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) to apply for Medicare. This could leave you waiting several months just for the opportunity to sign up. When you finally do enroll, benefits do not start until July 1 of that year. This could leave you without coverage for a minimum of three months but up to a year or longer in some cases.
Rather than punishing you twice for missing the IEP deadline, CMS is proposing that benefits start the month after you sign up. Like the IEP effective date changes, this stems from the BENES Act and will take effect starting on January 1, 2023.