Do I need Medicare if I still have employer health coverage?

It depends on your employer's size and your own situation. In some cases you can safely delay, and in others you'll want to enroll at 65 to avoid penalties. The general framework goes like this. If you or your spouse work for an employer with 20 or more employees and you have active group coverage, you can often delay Part B without penalty and pick it up later through a Special Enrollment Period when the job or the coverage ends. If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare usually becomes your primary coverage at 65, so enrolling on time tends to be important, because otherwise your employer plan may pay less than you expect. Part A is premium-free for most people, so many enroll in it at 65 even while still working. One thing to watch there: if you contribute to a Health Savings Account, enrolling in any part of Medicare stops new HSA contributions, so plan that timing carefully. For drug coverage, check whether your employer plan counts as creditable for Part D, because if it does you can delay Part D without penalty. Since the rules hinge on employer size, HSA use, and how your plan coordinates with Medicare, it's worth confirming with your benefits administrator and Medicare.gov, or your SHIP, before you act. A licensed agent can help you map out the right timing too, at no cost to you.

— Matt Rolph, Los Angeles, CAVerified