Form L564: Part B after you retire
Your 8-month clock starts the day you retire.
The trap: FEHB you keep as a retiree doesn’t count as job-based coverage. The window doesn’t wait for FEHB to end — it starts at retirement.
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1. Why the clock starts at retirement
If you kept working past 65 with FEHB through your job, you could delay Part B with no penalty. That protection rests on one thing: coverage based on current employment. When you retire, the employment ends — and the 8-month special enrollment period begins, even though your FEHB carries on.
The same window applies if you were covered through a spouse’s job — it opens when their employment or that coverage ends. Deciding whether to take Part B at all is a separate question: see the Part B decision for federal retirees.
2. Who fills out the form
Form CMS-L564, “Request for Employment Information,” proves you had job-based group coverage since you first became eligible for Part B. It has two parts:
- Section A — you. Your name, Medicare number and the employer you’re asking.
- Section B — your former agency. Its HR or benefits office confirms your employment dates and when your FEHB coverage based on that job started and ended.
Ask for it before your last day if you can, while your HR office still knows you. Federal Warrior’s separation checklist covers the rest of the paperwork to collect on the way out.
3. If your agency won’t sign
Agencies reorganize, HR offices move to shared service centers, and requests go unanswered. Social Security plans for that: fill in Section B yourself, as best you can and without the employer’s signature, then attach secondary evidence.
| Evidence Social Security accepts | Where a fed finds it |
|---|---|
| Pay statements showing health premiums | Your Earnings and Leave Statements — the FEHB deduction line |
| W-2s showing pre-tax medical contributions | Your agency payroll portal |
| Tax returns showing health premiums paid | Your own records |
| Insurance cards showing the coverage start date | Your FEHB plan card |
Your retirement SF-50 also helps: it shows the exact date your employment ended, which is the date the window opened.
4. How to file
- Online: Social Security’s online Part B application for a special enrollment period, if you already have Part A. Upload the L564 and any evidence.
- By mail, fax or in person: send CMS-40B, CMS-L564 and the evidence to your local Social Security office.
- Pick your start date: write “I want Part B coverage to begin (MM/YY)” in the remarks. Many retirees choose the month after FEHB becomes secondary.
- Keep copies and a fax confirmation or mail receipt. Filing inside the window is what counts.
5. If you missed the window
After month 8, you can only sign up during the General Enrollment Period, January 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the month after you enroll. You may also owe a penalty of 10% for each full 12 months you could have had Part B and didn’t — added to your premium for as long as you have Part B. The math is in the Part B late enrollment penalty.
If you missed the window because of wrong information from a federal employee, Social Security may be able to grant equitable relief. Ask, in writing, and keep whatever you were told.
6. Frequently asked questions
When does my Medicare Part B special enrollment period end after I retire?
Eight months after the month your employment ends or your group coverage from that employment ends, whichever comes first. For a federal retiree that is usually eight months after the retirement date, because FEHB you keep as a retiree does not count as coverage based on current employment.
Who fills out Section B of Form CMS-L564 for a federal employee?
Your former agency’s human resources or benefits office, because it can confirm your employment dates and your FEHB coverage. You complete Section A yourself.
What if my agency will not complete Form L564?
Social Security lets you complete Section B yourself, as best you can and without the employer’s signature, and attach secondary evidence such as pay statements or W-2s showing health premiums, tax returns showing premiums paid, or insurance cards showing the coverage start date.
Does FEHB in retirement count for the Part B special enrollment period?
No. The special enrollment period requires group coverage based on current employment, yours or your spouse’s. Retiree FEHB is not based on current employment, so it does not extend the eight-month window.
What happens if I miss the eight-month window?
You can enroll during the General Enrollment Period, January 1 through March 31, with coverage starting the month after you sign up. You may owe a late enrollment penalty of 10% for each full 12-month period you could have had Part B but did not, added to your premium for as long as you have Part B.