The fact is, using a licensed healthcare agent costs you nothing. Commissions are paid to us by the carrier. And you will pay the exact same for your Medigap supplement whether you get it directly from a carrier or through a healthcare agent because premium costs are posted with the state and cannot be discounted or charged differently.

So why wouldn't you want the expertise of a healthcare agent? No matter how much research people do on their own, it's been my experience that everyone has questions, things they are just not sure about. Medigap supplements is what I do. I, and my agents, spend countless hours each month dealing with carriers; in fact, there isn't a day I don't get several emails from carriers with one change or another we need to know about. Medicare itself is constantly shifting their rules. It takes expertise and specialization just to keep up.

We know the premium cost, and reputation of each of the over a dozen carriers we deal with, and others we choose not to. We have a sense of future price increases. A good healthcare agent is both an information source and a problem solver. 90% of the time everything goes smoothly, but problems do surface you don't want to be handling on your own, and over time we've seen and assisted clients with some doozies.

Order it through Amazon Prime. Just kidding, or at least not yet! You get your card from Medicare which is part of Social Security. Unless you are keeping your Group Health coverage at work (in which case you'll usually only want Part A which has no cost) you will want to apply for both Part A and Part B. Apply online by going to SSA.GOV. You can also apply by phone 800-772-1213 (expect a long wait) or you can also apply at the closest Social Security office.

The sign-up period for someone turning 65 begins three months before their birth month, so for instance, if your birthday is May 28, you can apply for your Medicare card beginning February 1.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Signing Up for Medicare or Reading our article.

It's one of those questions I hear in various forms all the time. But it's a bit like, "What's better, dogs or cats?" they both have their pluses and minuses and it depends on your own needs and preference.

With Original Medicare (sometimes called Traditional Medicare) Medicare itself covers 80% of your medical costs, and a Medigap supplement, usually Plan G, covers almost all of the rest. You also typically get a Prescription Drug Plan separately.

With Medicare Advantage everything is bundled together including your prescription drug needs, and a carrier takes over, much like with the HMOs and PPOs that are a part of Group Health coverage.

Typically (but not always) people who want lower costs equating to better value will choose a Medicare Advantage (MA) plan. Those who want more freedom and flexibility, and a fuller range of doctor and clinic choices, will select Original Medicare.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Choosing Between MA and Original Medicare or Reading our article.

A Riddle: What goes up and almost never goes down? Answer: Almost everything we pay for and Medicare is certainly no exception. Medicare has two parts: Part A which is hospital costs, is premium free as long as you or your spouse have worked at least 10 years. Part B which is doctors, tests, and most everything else medical, costs something. The amount is set by the government each year. In 2026 it is $202.90 each month which you pay directly to Medicare.

Note: It increased over 9% from 2025 to 2026. A good illustration, explaining the riddle above.

If you are receiving Social Security then your Part B payment will come directly out of it. If you are not, Social Security will bill you for Part B once your Medicare starts and you can set up payments or a payment plan at MyMedicare.Gov

If however, your annual income is above $109,000 filing single or $218,000 filing jointly, lucky you, you're IRMAA, and you'll get to pay more for your Part B.

The government uses two tax returns (they take their time before they switch to the latest one) to calculate your income for purposes of IRMAA, which stands for Income Related Medicare Adjusted Amount.

IRMAA is on a sliding scale increasing with the first level adding $82 a month, to the highest income level adding $487 to the $202.90 amount, for a total of $689.90 in the highest bracket.

But there is more! As they say in the Ginza knife commercials. There is also Part D IRMAA where they tack on an extra approximate 15% of your Part B IRMAA for Part D IRMAA.

The good news is if your income is now lower, for instance because you retired, you can appeal your IRMAA.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: IRMAA for Higher Income or Reading our article.

That's a good question, but like most things we buy, it varies. In total you will have 3–4 different cost items:

Your Part B: Paid to Social Security directly: $202.90 each month, or more (if IRMAA, high income).

Medigap such as Plan G or N: Varies by plan, location, gender, age and carrier. We will be happy to quote you.

Prescription Drug Plan: For most people the cost will be very little but if you are on higher tiered drugs a plan could cost you more. We will help you determine your best drug plan option based on the drugs you take.

Dental Plan: If you want one. This will typically cost between $50 and $90 depending upon the carrier and policy specifics such as the maximum coverage amount and percentage of your copayment.

We will help you calculate a total for all 3–4 of the above items you want.

Medicare certainly throws our way a lot of different Parts and Plans, all with letters. There are 10 different letter plans in addition to some such as Plan F that are no longer even available except under special circumstances.

Plan G is by far the most popular plan because it covers the most. It out enrolls Plan N by 4 to 1. The other letter plans make up only a tiny portion of enrollments.

Plan G covers 100% of your Part A and B medical costs, after you pay s deductible set by the government, which is $283 in 2026. It also covers the 15% excess charge (balance billing) some doctors and clinics charge.

Plan N covers everything Plan G does other than it does not cover the 15% excess charges (which could restrict you from some doctors or clinics) and Plan N has a $20 doctor copayment for most visits and a $50 emergency room copayment per visit. Plan N will save you around 20% in premium costs over Plan G.

There is also a High-Deductible Plan G (we usually don't recommend) that costs a lot less but has a deductible of $2,950 in 2026.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Plan G, Plan N and Other Medigap Supplements or Reading our article.

Yes, but only if you can pass underwriting. When you first join Medicare there is no underwriting so you can have some disease that hasn't been seen since the Middle Ages and they still have to accept you for a policy.

After that, you need to pass underwriting to switch letter plans. Or, to switch carriers in the same letter plan in most states. Even if you are 100% healthy today, it doesn't mean that tomorrow these things can't change in a flash. That's why we recommend you start out with the plan you want to be in, and then, kind of like marriage (hopefully), stick with it.

As mentioned above, when you first get your Part B, whether its because you turn 65, or when you retire at a later age, you get 6 months where you can enroll in any Medigap supplement with no medical questions even asked. Every carrier has to accept you for any plan which they offer, it's guaranteed!

You also get Guaranteed Issue for a variety of other reasons. Most common is if you are on a Medicare Advantage plan and move to a different state or county where your plan isn’t being offered. Or if your plan is discontinued requiring a change, you will get guaranteed issue to enroll in a Medigap supplement, if you wish to. Or if you go back to work and then retire again this will also get you guaranteed issue.

Medigap supplements are a lot like putting gas in your car's tank, does it really matter if it's Shell or Exxon? Most of us will look at the posted costs at each service station and pull in where costs are best.

Every carrier sells the same Plan G. Medicare (the government) says so. Likewise, every provider (doctor) that accepts Medicare has to accept every carrier's supplement.

The way you pick a carreir should be based on a variety of factors which we are experts at evaluating on your behalf. The first, of course, being monthly premium cost which varies considerably, sometimes as much as by double from one carrier to another, for the same Plan G or Plan N.

The next consideration is projecting how costs may go up in the future. Costs go up for two reasons: firstly, as you age, and secondly, because carriers submit each year to the state insurance commission for an increase based upon how their costs for the pool went up. This increase in pool costs is passed on to policy holders. We try our best to project which carriers are likeliest to increase the least based on a variety of tools we use.

Finally, is the size and reputation of the carrier.

We will send you a comparative quote and go over the options and our recommendations with you.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Picking a Medigap Carrier or Reading our article.

You have a free GoodRX card, that’s good enough, right? Sorry, but wrong. At least in the government’s mind.  If you don’t sign up for a prescription drug plan right away there will likely be penalties and they can add up to a lot. Most drug plans, especially if you only take generic drugs, are also very inexpensive, costing you next to nothing. 

Unless you get your drugs through the VA, you will therefor likely need to enroll in a Part D drug plan.

People fall into categories when it comes to prescription drugs. Some people take just inexpensive generic drugs or no drugs at all. Others take very expensive Tier 5 drugs where a month's worth of pills can be around the price of a vacation.

Each drug plan (carriers often offer several plans from basic to more encompassing) has a formulary of drugs which they will pay for. They also put these drugs onto tiers with different copayment costs for each tier. There is also a deductible that is usually $615 a year, but often exempts basic generic drugs from the deductible.

It can be complicated to figure out the best drug plan for your needs, especially if you are taking more expensive named brand drugs that may not even be in formulary at all with the drug plan you pick.

This is where the expertise of an experienced healthcare agent can be vital. Due to a recent change in Medicare payments to drug plan carriers, drug plans generally no longer pay healthcare agents to do enrollments. As a result, many agents leave clients on their own, to evaluate and sign up, in this important area.

At ItsThatTime LLC we think choosing a drug plan is too important, especially for those on expensive drugs, for us to not provide our knowledge and assistance. We will therefore happily run your drugs for you, and send you a quote with our recommendations. We offer this as a service without compensation.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Choosing a Drug Plan or Reading our article.

This is a question I get a lot which isn't surprising considering that seniors make up 37% of all travelers. It's our time for adventure.

With a Medigap Supplement (G or N) right out of the gate, plans are national, so you are covered the same in Toad Suck, AR, or Chicken, AK, or Why Not, NC or Santa Claus, IN or Dinosaur, CO, or Accident, MD (these are some of my favorite names of actual places) as you are in your own living room in Boring, Oregon. This being the case, wherever you are in the USA feel free to see doctors and hospitals the same as you would at home.

When you travel internationally you are also covered by your Plan G or Plan N, for emergencies (and why else would we seek medical help when we are traveling?) to a lifetime maximum of $50,000. There is a 20% copayment and if you are out of the country you will have to pay the facility the full amount yourself and then seek reimbursement.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Medicare and Travel or Reading our article.

After all, our eyes, ears and teeth are seniors, too. Medicare does not cover dental, vision or hearing except in very limited medical circumstances such as a broken jaw requiring teeth repairs. But yes, cataract surgery is covered by Medicare. I get asked that one almost daily.

We work with 8 different carriers that offer stand-alone dental insurance plans or DVH Plans which are plans where dental, vison and hearing are bundled together and you get combined coverage for each.

Plans vary greatly in total coverage amount, from $500 to $10,000 annually, in their copayment amounts, and generally in what they offer. For instance, many plans don’t include coverage for implants whereas some plans do. We are happy to quote you and provide you our expertise on dental plans.

Learn more by Viewing our Video:Dental Plans or Reading our article.

Judging by the number of times people ask me about this concern, I have to conclude that seniors do not like paying penalties. And, of course we don't.

Medicare doesn't want people thinking, "I don't really need it yet," and not paying their $202.90 each month. So, they impose a 10% penalty for each year you do not sign up for Part B, adding 10% to the monthly cost when you do enroll. Id dds to 20% if you wait two years, and so on. 10 years would double the cost. However, if you stay working and keep your Group Health coverage, generally this penalty goes away.

The second penalty is for not having a Prescription Drug Plan (Part D) after you turn 65. It's 1% a month (12% a year) of the average cost of a prescription drug plan added on each month when you do have a drug plan. The penalty works out to around $4.00 a month for each year that you don't have a drug plan. Once again, having Group Health coverage will eliminate this penalty.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Medicare and Penalties or Reading our article.

Many people keep working past Medicare age. Take Warren Buffet, who finally said "Uncle" to running one of America's 10 largest companies, at age 94. You may not want to pull a Warren yourself, but a few years past 65 may seem right to you.

As long as you continue to actively work and your Group Health plan is considered credible for Medicare purposes (almost all group plans are, ask your HR if you have concerns) then you can defer Medicare without any penalties. You may, or may not want to apply for just Part A, which has no cost and gives you extra coverage, but you should not do so if you are paying into an HSA.

You should apply for your Part B two to three months before retiring as it will take extra time to get yur Medicare card when you enroll after age 65. You will also need paperwork from your HR Department, we call Evidence of Credible Coverage to show that you have had Group Health coverage since age 65. Your HR Department will know exactly the forms you need.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: Medicare and Staying On Group Health or Reading our article.

Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) is from October 15 to December 7 each year. Everyone who is on a Medicare Advantage plan or a Prescription Drug Plan (as you likely will be if you are going with Original Medicare) can change their plan each year in this short period. We healthcare agents with everyone able to sweitch plans call AEP, "53 days from heck" though some use a stronger word.

Your Medigap supplement will be continual and does not apply to, or require you to do anything at all, during the Medigap Annual Enrollment Period.

For many people, their Prescription Drug Plan is another matter, especially if they are taking more expensive higher tiered drugs. You will get an Annual Notice Of Change (ANOC) letter from your carrier that will tell you the cost of your plan for next year and any changes to it. You should then check if there are changes to your drugs in the formulary as formularies from plans can change from year to year.

If you do nothing at all, as most people do, then as long as your drug plan is still on the market, it will simply roll over.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: After Enrolling or Reading our article.

Here's another statistic (I happen to like statistics), each year three million seniors move to another state. And, which is the number one state seniors move to? It's South Dakota.

I may have misread that stat. It's Florida. Followed by North Carolina and Arizona.

If you move then you must call both the carrier for your supplement and your prescription drug plan on the back of your member card. You won't likely need to change carriers unless a carrier is not in the state you are moving to, but they will want to change you to that state's pool.

Learn more by Viewing our Video: After Enrolling or Reading our article.