The thick envelope your Medicare plan sends every September is more important than it looks. Here's how to read it like a pro. INTRODUCTION The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) is the letter your Medicare Advantage or Part D plan sends every September explaining what's changing about your coverage for the coming year. Plans must deliver it by September 30, and if you don't like the changes, you have between October 15 and December 7 to switch. It usually arrives in a thick enve

A clear guide to what Original Medicare, Medigap, and Medicare Advantage do and don't cover when you leave the country. KEY POINTS AT A GLANCE — The Quick Version ✓ Original Medicare (Parts A & B) generally does NOT cover health care outside the U.S. — expect to pay 100% of foreign medical costs. ✓ Medigap plans C, D, F, G, M, and N include foreign travel emergency coverage: 80% of billed charges after a $250 deductible, up to a $50,000 lifetime maximum, during the first 60 d

Why your Medigap premium went up — and the three practical ways to respond Introduction Medicare Supplement (Medigap) premiums are increasing 12% to 26% in 2026 due to medical inflation, higher utilization, and new state enrollment rules. You have three options: shop for a cheaper carrier with the same benefits, move to a different Medigap plan, or switch to Medicare Advantage. Each path has trade-offs, and timing rules apply. If your Medigap premium just jumped, you're not a

A plain-English guide to the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge — who may qualify, which medications are covered, and how to get the process started. Introduction For years, Medicare was not allowed to cover medications used for weight loss. That left a lot of people paying full price out of pocket — often well over $1,000 a month — for popular GLP-1 medications. That's changing, at least for a while. Starting July 1, 2026, Medicare is launching a temporary program called the Medicare GLP

A quick guide to finding out whether Medicare approves a service — using the free tools Medicare already gives you. Introduction At some point, almost everyone with Medicare asks the same question: "Wait — does Medicare actually cover that?" It's a fair question, because what Medicare approves can get confusing. The good news is you don't have to guess or wait on hold. There are two quick, free ways to look up whether a specific service is covered, and you can use either one

A quick step-by-step for our Medigap clients. INTRODUCTION Now that your Medigap plan is in place, the last piece is prescription drug coverage. Medigap doesn't include drugs, so you'll add a stand-alone Part D plan. It takes about 15 minutes online. What You'll Need To Enroll Online Your Medicare card (number + Part A/B start dates) A list of your prescriptions with dosages The pharmacies you use Payment information (if applicable) Step 1: Go to Medicare.gov Open your web b

A step-by-step walkthrough — typically about 10 minutes from start to finish INTRODUCTION Signing up for Medicare online is one of the simplest ways to get your enrollment in motion. The whole process is handled by the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov, and most people can complete the application in roughly ten minutes once their account is set up. When you start the application, you'll choose between enrolling in Medicare alone (a "Medicare Only" application) or enr

A practical guide for beneficiaries not yet collecting Social Security INTRODUCTION Most people on Medicare have their Part B premium pulled automatically from their monthly Social Security retirement check. But if you are enrolled in Part B and have not yet started collecting Social Security benefits, the responsibility for paying that premium falls on you — and Medicare will send a bill directly. This page covers the four payment methods Medicare accepts, the two methods th

How to coordinate Medicare with your group health plan — and avoid costly mistakes. INTRODUCTION If you're approaching Medicare eligibility while still covered by an employer group health plan — yours or your spouse's — one of the bigger questions you'll face is whether to enroll in Medicare, delay it, or take only certain parts. For most people the answer comes down to one factor: the size of the employer providing your group coverage. The same is true if you're transitionin

A rule that catches HSA contributors off guard — and how to plan around it INTRODUCTION If you're enrolling in Medicare or Social Security retirement benefits after age 65, there's a quirky-but-important rule you need to understand: Medicare Part A is often backdated up to six months in the past. For most people this is harmless, but for anyone contributing to a Health Savings Account (HSA) it can create unexpected tax problems if you don't plan ahead. This page explains the

A guide to the Special Enrollment Period (SEP) application process INTRODUCTION If you delayed signing up for Medicare past age 65 because you were covered under an active employer group health plan — yours or your spouse's — you can still enroll without a late penalty by using a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Most people use the SEP either while still working or within the eight-month window that follows the loss of that employer coverage. This page walks through the four

A complete walkthrough for the 2026 plan year If you received an Initial IRMAA Determination Letter stating that your Medicare premiums will be increased due to higher income in a previous year, now is the time to file an appeal — formally called a Request for Reconsideration — through the Social Security Administration. Despite what the letter says about a 10-day window, you typically have about 60 days to submit your appeal paperwork. The sooner you file, the better — you'l