Medicare
It is not as complicated as the mail makes it look.
If you are turning 65, you are probably getting a great deal of mail, most of it designed to make you call a phone number today. Very little of it explains how the pieces actually fit together. That is what a conversation is for.
The basics
The parts, in one page.
Hospital insurance
Inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing, hospice. Most people have paid for this through payroll taxes and owe no premium.
Medical insurance
Doctor visits, outpatient care, lab work, durable medical equipment. There is a monthly premium, and higher earners pay more.
Medicare Advantage
A private plan that bundles Parts A and B, usually with prescription coverage. Networks and out-of-pocket rules vary a great deal.
Prescription drug coverage
Standalone drug coverage. Which plan is right depends almost entirely on the specific medications you take.
Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap)
A separate route: keep Original Medicare and add a supplement policy that covers much of what Medicare does not, usually with a standalone Part D plan alongside it. Supplement and Advantage are two different approaches to the same problem, with real trade-offs in cost, freedom to choose doctors, and what happens if you want to switch later. Which is better depends on your health, your doctors, your travel, and your budget — not on which one an advertisement is loudest about.
Timing
The windows that actually matter.
Medicare is unusual in that missing a window can cost you money permanently. These are the ones to know.
Initial Enrollment Period
Seven months around your 65th birthday
Starts three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after. Enrolling late in Part B or Part D without other qualifying coverage can mean a penalty that lasts as long as you have Medicare.
Annual Enrollment Period
Oct 15, 2026 – Dec 7, 2026
Every year. This is when you can change your Medicare Advantage or Part D coverage for the following year. Changes made in this window take effect January 1, 2027.
Special Enrollment Periods
When life changes
Retiring, losing employer coverage, moving, or certain other events can open a window outside the usual dates. These have their own rules and deadlines.
What I do
The review, and what it is not.
A review takes about forty-five minutes. We go through your doctors, your prescriptions, how you actually use care, and what you are paying now. Then I show you what your options look like in your county, and what the trade-offs are between them.
What it is not: a sales presentation with one recommended answer. Plenty of these end with me telling someone their current coverage is the right fit and they should keep it. That is a real outcome, and it is the one that earns the phone call next year.
Before we can discuss specific plans, federal rules require a short form on file — a Scope of Appointment — confirming what you have agreed to talk about. I will send it in advance. It commits you to nothing, and I keep a copy on file as the rules require.
Questions people actually ask
Straight answers.
I am still working at 65. Do I have to sign up?+
Does it cost me more to use an agent?+
Can you show me every plan available to me?+
I like my coverage. Why review it?+
What should I have ready?+
Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options. This page is general educational information about how Medicare works and does not describe, compare, or recommend any specific plan.