Medicare resource center
Medicare, explained plainly
82 guides, 51 state pages and two calculators covering every part of Medicare: who qualifies, when to sign up, what it costs in 2026, how Medigap, Medicare Advantage and Part D work, and where to get free, unbiased help. Every figure links to its official source.
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Plans change their costs and drug lists every year, so it’s worth reviewing yours even if you’re happy with it.
What to checkWhere are you starting from?
I'm turning 65
What to do, month by month, and the windows that decide whether you pay a penalty.
I'm still working
Whether you can delay Part B, how your employer's size matters, and what to do with an HSA.
I'm reviewing my plan
Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Here's what to check before you keep or change a plan.
I'm under 65 with a disability
When Medicare starts, and why your state decides whether you can buy Medigap.
I need help paying
Medicare Savings Programs and Extra Help can cover premiums and most drug costs.
I'm choosing coverage
Original Medicare with Medigap, or Medicare Advantage: the tradeoffs, side by side.
Medicare costs in 2026 at a glance
Set by the federal government each year. 2027 Part A and Part B amounts haven’t been announced yet; CMS usually publishes them in the fall.
Sources: CMS, Medicare.gov, CMS bid memo. Full breakdown: Medicare costs this year.
Medicare basics
The four parts, who qualifies, and what Medicare does and doesn't pay for.
- What is Medicare?
- Medicare Parts A, B, C and D explained
- Medicare Part A: hospital insurance
- Medicare Part B: medical insurance
- Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage
- Who is eligible for Medicare?
- Medicare vs Medicaid: what's the difference?
- What Medicare doesn't cover
- Does Medicare cover dental, vision and hearing?
- Does Medicare pay for long-term care?
- Medicare preventive services and wellness visits
Enrollment & deadlines
When to sign up, how to sign up, and the windows that decide whether you pay a penalty.
- How to sign up for Medicare
- Your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period
- The Medicare General Enrollment Period
- Medicare Special Enrollment Periods
- Medicare Open Enrollment: October 15 to December 7
- The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period
- Will I be enrolled in Medicare automatically?
- Medicare late enrollment penalties explained
- Turning 65: your Medicare checklist
- Can you delay Medicare Part B?
- How to review your Annual Notice of Change
Costs & help paying
This year's premiums and deductibles, income-related surcharges, and the programs that lower them.
- Medicare costs this year: premiums, deductibles and coinsurance
- The Medicare Part B premium
- IRMAA: Medicare's income-related surcharge
- How to appeal IRMAA after a life-changing event
- Medicare Savings Programs: help with premiums
- Extra Help with Medicare drug costs
- Do you have to pay for Medicare Part A?
- Inpatient vs observation status in Medicare
Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
The standardized plans, when you can buy one without health questions, and how pricing works.
- What is Medicare Supplement insurance (Medigap)?
- Medigap plans compared: A through N
- Medigap Plan G explained
- Medigap Plan N explained
- Medigap Plan G vs Plan N
- High-deductible Plan G
- Medigap Plan F: who can still buy it?
- Medigap Plans K and L
- Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period
- Medigap guaranteed issue rights
- How Medigap plans are priced
- Can you switch Medigap plans?
- Medigap vs Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage
How Part C plans work, networks and prior authorization, special needs plans, and the out-of-pocket limit.
- How Medicare Advantage (Part C) works
- Medicare Advantage HMO vs PPO
- Medicare Special Needs Plans (SNPs)
- Medicare Advantage extra benefits
- Medicare star ratings explained
- The Medicare Advantage out-of-pocket maximum
- Prior authorization in Medicare Advantage
- How to check if your doctors take a Medicare Advantage plan
- Medicare Medical Savings Account (MSA) plans
- Switching from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare
Part D drug coverage
Formularies, the annual out-of-pocket cap, insulin, and how to compare drug plans.
Your situation
Working past 65, retiree and military coverage, disability, moving, and other circumstances that change the rules.
- Medicare if you're still working at 65
- Medicare with a small employer vs a large employer
- COBRA and Medicare
- Retiree health coverage and Medicare
- HSAs and Medicare
- VA health care and Medicare
- TRICARE For Life and Medicare
- Medicare under 65 on disability
- Medicare for kidney failure (ESRD)
- Medicare and Medicaid together (dual eligibility)
- Moving with Medicare
- Medicare for immigrants and non-citizens
- Does Medicare cover you when you travel abroad?
- Medicare when your spouse is younger
- Medicare and Marketplace (ACA) plans
Choosing help & avoiding scams
Where to get unbiased help, what to ask an agent, appeals, and how to protect your Medicare number.
- Free Medicare counseling: your State Health Insurance Assistance Program
- Questions to ask a Medicare agent or broker
- Medicare scams and how to protect yourself
- What Medicare agents and plans can and can't do
- How to appeal a Medicare decision
- How to read your Medicare Summary Notice
- Your Medicare card: replacing it and protecting your number
Medicare in your state
Free counseling contacts, Medigap rules for people under 65, and whether your state lets you switch Medigap plans without health questions. Compare all states.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Common questions
Most people sign up during their 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, which starts 3 months before the month they turn 65 and ends 3 months after it. If you're already getting Social Security benefits, you're usually enrolled in Parts A and B automatically. If you're still working and covered by a large employer's group plan, you may be able to delay Part B without a penalty.
Most people pay no premium for Part A. The standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month in 2026, with a $283 yearly deductible, and people with higher incomes pay more. Drug plans, Medigap policies and Medicare Advantage plans have their own premiums, which vary by plan and location.
Medigap is extra insurance that works alongside Original Medicare to pay costs like deductibles and coinsurance, and lets you see any provider who accepts Medicare. Medicare Advantage replaces Original Medicare with a private plan that usually has a network and a yearly out-of-pocket limit. You can't have both at once.
October 15 to December 7 every year. During it you can join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan, with changes starting January 1. It isn't a guaranteed time to buy a Medigap policy in most states.
Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) with trained counselors who don't sell insurance. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE or use the Plan Finder on Medicare.gov.
Help with your own plan choices
Compare every plan in your ZIP code on the Medicare Plan Finder, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week), or get free one-on-one counseling from your state’s SHIP.
General information about the federal Medicare program, not advice about your situation. Figures are for 2026 unless stated and change every year; last reviewed September 29, 2026. Quote My Policy is a private company. Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.
Quote My Policy does not sell Medicare plans on this site. For plan-specific help, contact Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) (TTY 1-877-486-2048, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week) or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program.