Part B (medical insurance)
Medicare Part B helps cover doctor's services, outpatient care, and some other services not covered by Part A. Part B is optional and has a monthly premium. This premium is deducted from your monthly Social Security check or billed quarterly if you're not yet receiving Social Security.
When to enroll
- When you first become eligible, by age, disability, or other criteria. This Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP) lasts 7 months.
- During the annual General Enrollment Period for Medicare Parts A and B: January 1 through March 31 each year. Coverage starts July 1.
If you don't enroll in Part B when you're first eligible for Medicare, and you decide to enroll later, your monthly Part B premium could go up 10 percent for each year that you could have had Part B but didn't enroll.
If you have other coverage, such as employer-sponsored coverage, when you first become eligible for Medicare, you can defer your Medicare Part B enrollment to a later time without penalty — up to 8 months after your other coverage ends. Contact Social Security to find out more about deferring your Part B enrollment.
Some services not covered by Part B
- Routine vision, alternative health care, routine hearing screening exams, routine chiropractic care, prescription drugs, first 3 pints of blood
- Chiropractic services (except to correct a subluxation using manipulation of the spine)
- Cosmetic surgery
- Custodial care
- Dental care (routine) and dentures
- Eye care (routine exam), eye refractions, and most eyeglasses
- Routine foot care (with a few exceptions)
- Health care while traveling outside the United States, except in limited cases
- Hearing aids and exams for the purpose of fitting a hearing aid
- Hearing tests that haven't been ordered by a doctor
- Long-term care
- Orthopedic shoes (with a few exceptions)
- Prescription drugs (most outpatient drugs aren't covered)
- Syringes or insulin, unless the insulin is used with an insulin pump
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Learn about Medicare health plans for group, state, and federal employees
If you are becoming eligible for Medicare and your employer offers a group retiree Medicare Advantage health plan through Kaiser Permanente Washington, call us at 1-800-581-8252 or TTY WA Relay 711 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
PEBB and FEHB members can also find information online:
Key Medicare enrollment dates
Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP)
October 15 through December 7
Medicare Initial Coverage Election Period (ICEP)
65th birthday month + 3 months before and after
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (OEP)
January 1 through March 31
Other resources
Medicare Star Quality Ratings
Our Medicare Advantage health plan in Washington was rated 4.5 out of 5 Stars for 2019. Our 4.5 out of 5 Star rating is based on quality, service, and member satisfaction, so you get the peace of mind that comes with knowing you're getting high-quality care. 1