Turning 65 soon?
You’re eligible to sign up for Medicare 3 months before your 65th birthday!
The Medicare Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a 7-month period beginning three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month of your birthday, and ends three months after. If you enroll during your IEP, your coverage typically begins during your birth month.
The 2026 Medicare Annual Open Enrollment Period (AEP) will be October 15, 2025, to December 7, 2025. This is the time when Medicare beneficiaries can review and make changes to their Medicare coverage for the following year, which starts on January 1, 2026.
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How Medicare Works
Medicare is a federal health insurance program that provides benefits to U.S. citizens aged 65 years and over. There are four parts of Medicare –
PART A, PART B, PART C, & PART D.
PART A – Inpatient/Hospital Coverage
Medicare Part A (original Medicare) covers inpatient hospital care, skilled nursing facilities, hospice care, lab tests, surgeries, and home health care.
You can use any doctor or hospital that takes Medicare, anywhere in the U.S.
PART B – Outpatient Medical Coverage
Medicare Part B covers medical services and supplies that are medically necessary to treat your health condition. This includes doctor visits, outpatient medical care, preventive services, ambulance services, and durable medical equipment.
PART C – Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage Plans (Medicare Part C) are offered by private insurance companies that are contracted by the federal government to administer them. These plans “bundle” the benefits of Medicare part A, Part B, and Part D into one coverage plan, administered by one company.
Medicare Advantage Plans are subsidized by Medicare.
Medicare Advantage Plans cover preventative services and most plans do not charge an extra cost for prescription drug coverage.
PART D – Prescription Drugs
Unlike Medicare Part A and Part B, there is no public option for Medicare prescription drug coverage. Prescription drug plans are provided by private companies and out-of-pocket costs vary from plan to plan.
How to get a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
1. You can choose a Medicare Part C plan that includes prescription drug coverage (these are called Medicare Advantage prescription drug plans)
2. You can purchase Medicare Part D as a stand-alone prescription drug plan if you are enrolled in Medicare Part A or Part B.
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Original Medicare pays for much, but not all costs of covered health care services and supplies. Medicare Supplement Insurance can help pay some of your remaining health care costs, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles, and is also sold by private companies.