Skip to main content

An official website of the United States government

Here's how you know

Medicare and the Marketplace

Changing from the Marketplace to Medicare

If you have a Marketplace coverage and get
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 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 this enrollment period, you may have to wait to sign up. You may also have pay monthly late enrollment penalties that go up the longer you wait.

End your Marketplace coverage

End your Marketplace coverage when your Medicare coverage starts. Your premium tax credit or extra savings won't stop automatically once you're eligible for Medicare.
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 use when you file your federal taxes. 
Marketplace coverage doesn't lower your out-of-pocket costs in Medicare. Medicare offers: