New to Medicare
Turning 65 in Wichita Falls, TX
Your 65th birthday sets a countdown running. Medicare hands you a seven-month Initial Enrollment Period: three months before your birthday month, the birthday month itself, and three months after it. That's your window to get Part A and Part B locked in.
File in the three months before your birthday and coverage kicks in the first day of that birthday month. Wait past it, and your start date slides. That's why we ask Wichita Falls residents from Faith Village to Country Club to start planning at 64 and a half, not 65.
- A 7-month window built around your birthday
- Different rules if you're still on the job
- One guaranteed Medigap window, and only one
- Local guidance from someone who lives here too
Your dates
Turning 65 enrollment calculator
Find your enrollment window
Enter your birth date and get your Initial Enrollment Period, the month to apply, your likely start date, and what still-working rules apply to you. Then a licensed agent can walk through it with you by phone.
Timeline
What happens, month by month
- 1
3 to 6 months before your birthday
Decide if you're delaying Part B for active employer coverage. Start pulling together your doctor list and prescriptions, whether you see providers at United Regional or a Clinics of North Texas office.
- 2
3 months before
Apply for Part A and Part B through Social Security if benefits haven't started yet. Already collecting Social Security? Your card shows up on its own.
- 3
2 months before
Pick a direction: Original Medicare paired with Medigap and Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan. Check which Wichita Falls clinics and pharmacies sit inside each network.
- 4
1 month before
Send in your application so cards land before your effective date. Double-check that nothing from prior coverage lapses in the gap.
- 5
After your birthday
Your six-month Medigap open enrollment period starts once Part B begins. Use it, because it's the only stretch where your health history can't be held against you.
Still working?
An employer plan changes everything
Still working, or is your spouse, at a company with 20 or more employees, including civilian roles connected to Sheppard Air Force Base? You can typically hold off on Part B without a penalty and keep the group plan. Most people still sign up for Part A since it's usually free, unless you're funding an HSA, since any Medicare enrollment shuts that door.
Once the job ends, an eight-month Special Enrollment Period opens for Part B. COBRA and retiree coverage don't stretch that window further. Getting this timing wrong is the costliest misstep we see, and you can run the numbers yourself with our Part B penalty calculator.
Fewer than 20 employees changes the rule
At a small employer, Medicare typically becomes your primary coverage at 65, and putting off Part B can leave real gaps. Check with your HR contact before you decide.
Choosing
Two paths forward
- Original Medicare + Medigap + Part D: any doctor who accepts Medicare, a higher premium, costs you can predict
- Medicare Advantage: lower premium, a defined network, copays per visit, plus extras like dental and vision
- Either way, you'll keep paying your monthly Part B premium
- An independent local agent can lay out both at no charge
Learn more about Medigap and Medicare Advantage, or work through the Medicare checklist first.
Get your timeline checked before you file
We confirm your dates, tell you if your employer coverage lets you wait safely, and walk through both coverage paths. No cost, no pressure to sign anything.
Wichita Falls Senior Insurance
Independent Texas Medicare agency · Wichita Falls, TX
How we work, licensing and carriers →- Independent, licensed in Texas
- Serving Wichita County since 2011
- AHIP Medicare certified agents, renewed every year
- No cost for our help
- Kitchen table, office or phone, your call
Written and reviewed by the licensed agents at Wichita Falls Senior Insurance, an independent texas medicare agency. Last reviewed: July 2026.
Free review
Turning 65 this year?
We'll map out your dates, check your doctors, and lay out both paths, free and with no obligation to enroll.