New start dates to Medicare Part B coverage went into effect at the start of 2023, but some other things haven’t changed.

Beginning on Jan. 1, Medicare Part B coverage starts on the first day of the month after you sign up, if you sign up during the last three months of your Initial Enrollment Period.

Before this change, if you signed up during the last three months of your IEP, your Medicare Part B coverage started two to three months after you enrolled.

Medicare Part B helps cover medical services like doctors’ services, outpatient care, and other medical services that Part A doesn’t cover. Part B is optional. Part B helps pay for covered medical services and items when they are medically necessary. Part B also covers some preventive services like exams, lab tests, and screening shots to help prevent, find, or manage a medical problem.

What hasn’t changed is, if you are eligible at age 65, your IEP:

—Begins three months before your 65th birthday;

—Includes the mont...