I'm turning 65. What should I do first?

Three months before your 65th birthday, sign up for Medicare Parts A and B at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up. Enrolling in the first 3 months of your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) makes coverage start the month you turn 65 — preventing any gap in your TRICARE coverage.

Here's the order of operations:

1. Apply for Medicare with SSA (3 months before your birthday month).
2. Verify DEERS at milConnect — both Part A and Part B dates should appear there within 30–60 days.
3. Find civilian providers who accept Medicare assignment (Care Compare). You will lose priority access to military treatment facilities at 65.
4. Do nothing for TFL — it activates automatically once Medicare A and B are both active. There's no application and no fee.
5. Do NOT enroll in Medicare Part D. TRICARE Pharmacy is already creditable coverage.

That's it. The biggest mistake to avoid: declining Part B because you "have TRICARE." TRICARE For Life requires Part B. Skip it, and you lose TFL.