Approaching age 65 is an important and perhaps ambivalent milestone: it certainly represents a new stage of life, at least when it comes to health care. For 65 is the usual age at which most people become eligible for Medicare. For those of you or your loved ones approaching 65, it’s important to understand when is the best time to sign up for Medicare. If you delay, and let time lapse, it could have economic consequences for you going forward, including penalties and higher fees for different parts of Medicare coverage. If you’re still working at age 65, and receive health coverage through your employer, the rules are different. It can be complicated- and critical that you understand when is the best sign-up time for you. There are lots of resources out there to help. You can start with the government’s Medicare website Here and then move on to the Medicare Interactive website Here and the Medicare Rights Center Here.