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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).
Warning:
If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period, you may have to wait to sign up. You may also have to pay monthly late enrollment penalties that go up the longer you wait.
Find out how and when to sign up for Medicare.

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. 

Example of when to update your Marketplace application

If your Medicare begins on May 1, you can update your Marketplace application as early as February 1. In your application, report that your Medicare starts on May 1. Your Marketplace coverage ends on April 30 (the day before Medicare coverage starts). 
Warning:
Avoid paying back the premium tax credit
If you don't end your Marketplace coverage, you may have to pay back some or all of the premium tax credit you used when you file your federal taxes. 
Marketplace coverage doesn't lower your out-of-pocket costs in Medicare. Medicare offers:

Can I keep my Marketplace plan if I have Medicare?

Yes, but you’ll pay full price for it. And, your insurance company might end your Marketplace coverage. It’s against the law for someone who knows you have Medicare to sell you a Marketplace plan.
If you have to pay a premium for Medicare Part A, you can choose whether you want to have coverage through Medicare or the Marketplace. Compare your costs and coverage, and consider the Medicare late enrollment penalties when making your decision.
Get steps to end coverage
 
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