Medicare Enrollment Protection Act of 2025

Key Points

• This bill creates a new "Special Enrollment Period" for Medicare. It allows people who have COBRA health insurance—the temporary coverage you can keep after leaving a job—to sign up for Medicare Part B more easily without having to wait for the standard yearly sign-up window.
• It eliminates expensive "late enrollment penalties" for these individuals. Currently, many people on COBRA do not realize they must sign up for Medicare immediately and end up paying higher monthly premiums for the rest of their lives. This bill would stop those extra charges for people transitioning from COBRA coverage.
• The policy protects current benefits by preventing insurance companies from reducing or ending COBRA coverage just because a person becomes eligible for Medicare. It ensures COBRA stays fully active and pays for medical needs as if the person were not yet eligible for Medicare, until they actually choose to enroll.
• If the bill becomes law, these changes would apply to COBRA coverage starting on or after January 1, 2026. The Labor Department would also be required to update the official notices sent to workers to clearly explain how Medicare and COBRA work together so people do not miss important deadlines.