Medicare Plans, Health, Life, Dental and Free Insurance Guidance That Puts You First.

Medicare Plans explained in one place

Everything on this site comes back to one decision. The Medicare Plans available to you fall into two routes, and almost every question people ask us is really a question about which route fits.

Route one: Original Medicare with a Medigap policy. You keep federal Part A and Part B, add a Medicare Supplement policy to cover what Medicare leaves behind, and add a standalone Part D drug plan. There is no network at all — any provider in the country who accepts Medicare accepts you. It costs more each month and very little at the point of care.

Route two: Medicare Advantage. A private carrier takes over your Part A and Part B benefits, usually bundles drug coverage, and often adds dental, vision and hearing. Monthly cost is low or nothing, and you pay as you use care within a local network. Most of the Medicare Plans people actually enroll in are Advantage plans.

Neither route is better in the abstract. What decides it is your doctors, your prescriptions, how much you travel, and whether a predictable premium or a low premium suits your household. A licensed agent can price both against your real situation in a single conversation.

What changed for 2026

Two federal rules now apply to the drug coverage inside all Medicare Plans, standalone or bundled. No Part D plan may charge a deductible above $615, and once you have spent $2,100 out of pocket on covered drugs your cost for the rest of the calendar year is zero. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread that amount across monthly instalments rather than facing it in January.

What still changes every January is the detail: networks, formularies, copays and supplemental benefits. The Annual Notice of Change your carrier sends by 30 September is where those changes are disclosed, and reviewing your Medicare Plans each autumn takes about half an hour.

State rules differ more than people expect

Medigap timing is set state by state, and it changes the arithmetic. Nevada gives existing policyholders 60 days from the first of their birthday month and lets them change carriers. Illinois gives 45 days from the birthday, but only between 65 and 75 and only within the same insurer family. Mississippi has no birthday rule at all. Ask about your own state before assuming a window exists.

Check any of this independently

You should never take an agency’s word for how Medicare Plans work, including ours. Each of these is free and sells nothing.

• Medicare.gov Plan Compare — every plan sold in your ZIP code, with star ratings and your prescriptions priced in
• SHIP National Technical Assistance Center — free one-to-one counselling in every state
• Social Security Administration — Extra Help with prescription drug costs
• National Association of Insurance Commissioners — look up any agent’s licence and complaint history

When you are ready to compare Medicare Plans against your own doctors and prescriptions, call (877) 808-2900. There is no cost, no obligation, and if the right answer is a plan we do not represent, we will tell you so.