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Medicare, in plain English.
Medicare is the federal health-insurance program for Americans 65 and older, plus some younger people with specific disabilities.
9 min read·Checked May 8, 2026
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Medicare
All Medicare guides.
Each guide is a plain-English deep-dive on a single decision.
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Kind of plan
Showing all 69 guides.
Medicare basics
37Full guide
Medicare supplement open enrollment: your guaranteed-issue window
Medigap open enrollment lasts 6 months starting when you turn 65 and enroll in Part B. Learn your rights, plan options, and what happens if you miss it.
7 min read·Checked Oct 9, 2026
Full guide
Your 2027 ANOC Is Not Junk Mail
Your Medicare plan's Annual Notice of Change arrives by September 30. Check your premium, your drug list, and whether your plan still covers your county in 2027.
5 min read·Checked Sep 29, 2026
Full guide
Form CMS L564: how to document employer coverage for a Medicare Part B special enrollment
CMS L564 documents employer coverage for Medicare Part B Special Enrollment, helping you avoid a permanent late-enrollment penalty. Learn how to fill it out and file it.
4 min read·Checked Sep 14, 2026
Start hereFull guide
Medicare explained: the parts, the costs, and how to enroll
Understand Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D, the verified 2026 costs, and when to enroll so you avoid penalties. A clear, plain-language guide with next steps.
8 min read·Checked Jul 30, 2026
In this guide
- Original Medicare, the unbundled federal program14 min
- CGS Medicare: what this claims contractor does and when it matters4 min
- What 'Medicare for All' means and how it compares to current Medicare3 min
- What Medicare is, who qualifies, and how the four parts work4 min
- Medicare eligibility age: who qualifies at 65 and what opens the door earlier4 min
- Medicare Advantage programs: what they cover, what they cost, and when you can enroll3 min
- KanTime and Medicare home health: what patients should know4 min
- How CMS shapes your Medicare coverage and costs4 min
- Medicare eligibility age: 65 is the standard, but not the only path4 min
- Medicare eligibility age: when you can enroll and what happens if you wait4 min
- Medicare 2026 premiums: what Parts A, B, and D will cost you4 min
- Medicare home health care: who qualifies, what's covered, and how to start4 min
- Does Medicare cover you when you travel or live abroad?6 min
- Medicare and VA benefits: do you need both?6 min
- Medicare versus Medicaid: what each program covers and who qualifies8 min
- Medicare secondary payer: who pays first and why it matters7 min
- How to sign up for Medicare4 min
- New to Medicare, the four things to know before you sign up3 min
- Finding a doctor with Medicare, networks and referrals2 min
- Medicare and employer coverage, when to delay Part B3 min
- Medicare enrollment periods5 min
- Working past 65, Medicare, COBRA, and the SEP trap3 min
- SilverSneakers and Medicare fitness3 min
- Medicare Part D, prescription drug coverage6 min
- The Medicare grocery card, what it really is4 min
- Medicare for people with disabilities, before 654 min
- Does Medicare pay for assisted living?4 min
- What documents you need to sign up for Medicare4 min
- Medicare deductibles in 20264 min
Start hereQuick answer
Your Medicare card and your online account
What your Medicare card shows, why your Medicare Number is not your Social Security number, the scam red flags to watch for, and how the free Medicare.gov account lets you replace a lost card and review claims.
3 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
In this guide
The parts of Medicare
2Full guide
Medicare Part A, hospital coverage
What Medicare Part A covers in 2026: inpatient hospital, skilled nursing, hospice, the $1,736 deductible and the per-day cost ladder, the observation-status trap, and the long-term-care gap.
6 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
Full guide
Medicare Part B, doctor and outpatient coverage
What Medicare Part B covers in 2026: doctors, outpatient, preventive care and the screening-to-diagnostic flip, the $202.90 premium and $283 deductible, and the uncapped 20% that drives Medigap and Advantage.
5 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
Kinds of plans
9Start hereDeep dive
Medicare Advantage (Part C), explained without the marketing
What Medicare Advantage really is in 2026: plan types, networks, prior authorization, the MOOP cap, star ratings, and how it compares to Original Medicare.
16 min read·Checked May 14, 2026
Deep dive
Medicare HMO plans: how they work and what they cost in 2026
Medicare HMO plans bundle hospital, doctor, and drug coverage into one network. Learn 2026 costs, prior authorization rules, and enrollment windows here.
9 min read·Checked Aug 17, 2026
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Medigap (Medicare Supplement), explained
How Medigap fills Original Medicare’s gaps: the standardized plan letters, why Plan G and Plan N lead, the three pricing methods, and the open-enrollment window that protects you.
5 min read·Checked May 29, 2026
Making the choice
2Full guide
Medigap vs Medicare Advantage: which path locks you in
The real difference between Medigap and Medicare Advantage is reversibility. The six-month guaranteed-issue window, the underwriting asymmetry, and how to choose so the door back stays open.
4 min read·Checked Jun 30, 2026
Full guide
Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage?
Original Medicare plus Medigap or Medicare Advantage: freedom and predictable cost vs. low premiums and a capped worst case, the uncapped 20%, and the underwriting asymmetry that makes switching back hard.
4 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
Signing up
2Start hereFull guide
Medicare eligibility, who qualifies and when
Who qualifies for Medicare and when: the three doors (turning 65, 24 months of SSDI, ALS/ESRD), automatic vs. on-you enrollment, the seven-month IEP and its timing, and the working-at-65 exception.
5 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
What it costs
5Start hereQuick answer
Medicare IRMAA, the income brackets explained
Medicare IRMAA: the income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D above roughly $109,000 single / $218,000 joint. The two-year lookback that catches new retirees, the cliff structure, what counts as income, and when you can appeal.
3 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
In this guide
Start hereQuick answer
Medicare late enrollment penalties, in actual dollars
Medicare has three late-enrollment penalties. Part B adds 10% per full 12 months for life; Part D adds 1% of the base per month after 63 days without creditable coverage; Part A rarely applies. How each works, and how to avoid all of them.
3 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
In this guide
Full guide
Why your Part D premium may jump in 2027
A federal subsidy that held Part D plan premiums down ends after 2026. What the 2027 numbers mean, the auto-renew trap, and what to check before December 7.
5 min read
What is covered
8Start hereQuick answer
Home health, hospice, nursing home, and long-term care
What Medicare covers across care settings: home health when homebound, a skilled-nursing stay after a hospital admission, hospice in full, and the long-term custodial care it does not cover. The skilled-vs-custodial line that decides it.
3 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
Start hereQuick answer
Medicare, dental, vision, and hearing
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental, vision, or hearing, but it does cover medically necessary exceptions like cataract surgery and doctor-ordered diagnostics. The three ways to fill the gap, and why the allowance is a cap.
3 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026
Help paying
4Start hereFull guide
Help paying for Medicare
Programs that lower Medicare costs and stack: Extra Help for drug costs, the Medicare Savings Programs (QMB, SLMB, QI) that cover the roughly $2,400-a-year Part B premium, the QMB balance-billing protection, and dual eligibility.
5 min read·Checked Jun 11, 2026