Most people first become eligible at age 65. Your Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month window that starts three months before your 65th birthday, includes your birthday month, and ends three months after.

Not through Original Medicare. If you need prescription drug coverage, you can enroll in a Part D plan or choose a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drug coverage.

• Medicare Advantage replaces your Original Medicare coverage with a bundled plan that often includes additional benefits.

• Medicare Supplement (Medigap) works alongside Original Medicare to help cover out-of-pocket costs like copays, coinsurance, and deductibles.

You can’t have both types of plans at the same time, and choosing the right one depends on your specific needs and budget.

It depends. If you have employer coverage, you may be able to delay enrolling in Medicare Part B without a penalty. But your situation is unique—we recommend speaking with an agent to determine the best course of action based on your current benefits and future plans.

Yes. If you don’t enroll in Part B or Part D when you’re first eligible, and you don’t have other credible coverage, you could face late enrollment penalties that increase your premium permanently. We can help you avoid these by reviewing your timeline together.

• Part A is usually premium-free if you (or your spouse) paid Medicare taxes while working.

• Part B has a monthly premium, which can vary based on your income.

• Part C (Advantage), Part D, and Medigap plans have their own premiums, copays, and out-of-pocket costs depending on the plan you choose.

Yes. You can make changes during Annual Enrollment Period (Oct 15 – Dec 7) each year. This is your opportunity to switch from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage (or vice versa), or to add/change your Part D coverage.

Medicare offers very limited coverage for long-term care, mostly short-term skilled nursing after hospitalization. It generally does not cover custodial care like help with daily living activities.