Social Security claiming at age 65 alongside Medicare enrollment, Digi Mart USA News: There is a lot riding on your Social Security claiming decision in retirement. The filing age you choose, combined with your personal wage history, will determine the monthly benefit you receive.
The earliest age to sign up for Social Security is 62. But if you want your monthly checks without a reduction, you will have to wait until you reach full retirement age (FRA).
FRA is 67 if you were born in 1960 or later.
Some Social Security recipients choose to claim benefits at 65 because they want to coordinate with Medicare. But timing your Social Security claim with your Medicare enrollment could cost you.
Age 65 is when most older Americans become eligible to enroll in Medicare. If you are still working and are covered by a qualifying group health plan, you do not have to sign up for Medicare right away.
However, age 65 is a common time to enroll.
You could sign up for Medicare and Social Security at the same time, since those benefits become available once you turn 62. But claiming Social Security at age 65 is a decision you might later regret.
At 65, you will not be at your FRA, which means your benefits will face a roughly 13.33% reduction compared with what you would receive by waiting two years. That reduction remains in effect for the rest of your life.
The Social Security Administration reports that the average monthly benefit among recipients aged 65 was $1,607 as of the end of 2025. Among recipients aged 67, the average benefit at the same time was $2,016.
This data does not necessarily reflect claiming ages. Someone who collects Social Security at 65 or 67 did not necessarily file for benefits at either age.
The point, however, is that filing for Social Security in conjunction with Medicare enrollment could result in reduced benefits if you sign up for Medicare on time. That could hurt you for the rest of your life.
Reduced Social Security benefits go beyond smaller monthly checks. A lower benefit for life also means that each time Social Security receives a cost-of-living adjustment, the raise will be smaller in dollar terms.
Reduced benefits could also hurt your spouse if you are the higher earner in your household and die before they do. At that point, your spouse would be entitled to survivor benefits equal to the monthly benefit you were collecting.
If an early claim shrinks that benefit, your spouse might struggle.
There is no requirement to sign up for Social Security when you enroll in Medicare. If you enroll in both, you will pay for Medicare Part B out of your monthly Social Security benefits.
But if you are not receiving Social Security, there are other ways to have those premiums paid.
Waiting two extra years to claim Social Security may result in a much better financial situation for you and your spouse over the long run.
