Medicare, explained by one local agent. Not a call center.
No forty pieces of mail and no strangers calling at dinner. Just straight answers about what you actually need, from an independent agent in West Michigan.
Chris explains the pros and cons of each option, and then you decide. There is no cost to you: agents are paid by the insurance company.
Medicare disclaimer. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent [number] organizations which offer [number] products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Where are you right now?
Pick the one that sounds like you. The next steps change with your answer.
Turning 65
Your window opens three months before your birthday month. Miss it and a late penalty can follow you for as long as you have Medicare, so this is the one deadline worth putting on the calendar.
Find your window
List your doctors and prescriptions
One call to check them against real plans
Medicare has four parts. That is the whole puzzle.
Once you know what each letter does, the mail stops being frightening.
Part A: Hospital
Inpatient stays, skilled nursing and hospice. Most people paid for this through their working years.
Part B: Doctors
Office visits, outpatient care, tests and equipment. This part has a monthly premium.
Part C: Advantage
A private plan that bundles A and B, often with drug coverage. A different way to get the same benefits.
Part D: Prescriptions
Drug coverage. Skipping it when you first qualify is where many late penalties come from.
Your enrollment window
Seven months around your 65th birthday. Then once a year after that.
- 3 months before
Window opens. Sign up now and coverage can start your birthday month.
- 2 months before
A good time to review your options, before the rush.
- Birthday month
Sign up now and coverage starts the month after.
- 3 months after
Window closes. Waiting longer can mean a lifelong penalty.
- Oct 15 to Dec 7
Every year after: change plans for January 1.
The late penalty is permanent. Sign up after your window without other qualifying coverage, and a penalty is added to your premium for as long as you have that coverage. It is the most expensive mistake on this page, and it is completely avoidable.
Medicare by the numbers
Official figures for 2026. Medicare announces the 2027 amounts this fall, and this page will be updated when it does.
Standard Part B premium, per month
Part B deductible, per year
Part A hospital deductible, per benefit period
Months in your first enrollment window
Source: CMS, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles. People with higher incomes pay more for Part B.
Your fall checklist
Five things to check before December 7. Changes you make take effect January 1.
- Read your Annual Notice of ChangeYour plan mails it by September 30. It lists what changes on January 1.
- Check your prescriptionsMake sure each one is still on next year's drug list, and at what cost.
- Check your doctors and pharmacyNetworks change. Confirm the people you see are still in yours.
- Look at the whole year, not just the premiumDeductibles and copays can matter more than the monthly price.
- Make any change by December 7After that, most people wait until next fall.
Questions people ask Chris
Do I have to take Medicare at 65 if I am still working?
Not always. If you or your spouse are still working and covered by an employer's group health plan, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty. Whether yours qualifies depends on the employer and the coverage, and getting it wrong is expensive, so it is worth asking.
What is the difference between Advantage and a Supplement?
Two different ways to handle what Original Medicare does not pay. Medicare Advantage bundles your coverage into a private plan, usually with a network. A Supplement sits alongside Original Medicare and helps pay the gaps. Which one fits depends on your doctors, your prescriptions and how much you travel.
Will my prescriptions be covered?
That depends on the plan's drug list, and drug lists change every year. It is the most common reason a plan that worked this year stops working next year.
Does it cost me anything to work with Chris?
No. Agents are paid by the insurance company, not by you, and your premium is the same whether you use an agent or not.
What if I already picked a plan and I am not happy?
You are not stuck forever. You can change plans every fall between October 15 and December 7. If you are in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can also switch once between January 1 and March 31. Some life changes open a window of their own.
Prefer to talk it through?
Call the office. Ask one question or ask forty.
616-696-8255- No cost and no obligation
- One licensed agent, not a call center
- Your information is never sold or shared
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616-696-8255