Medicare
Medicare, explained in plain language
Start with where you are. We'll show what matters for you, and an agent or representative can compare plans with you at no cost.
Rather talk it through?
1-800-830-7574TTY 711How it fits together
Two main ways to get your Medicare coverage
Everyone starts with Parts A and B. From there, most people take one of two paths. Neither is right for everyone. It depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget and how you use care.
| Topic | Original Medicare + Supplement + Part D | Medicare Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| What you pay | Your Part B premium, plus premiums for the Supplement and Part D plan. The Supplement pays some or all of what Original Medicare leaves, so costs when you get care are more predictable. | Your Part B premium, plus any premium the plan charges. You pay copays and coinsurance as you use care, up to the plan’s yearly out-of-pocket limit. The limit covers medical services, not premiums or prescriptions. |
| Doctors and hospitals | Any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare. No referrals needed. | Usually a network (HMO or PPO). Some plans need a referral to see a specialist. |
| Prescriptions | Through a separate Part D plan. | Included in most plans. |
| Dental, vision, hearing | Routine care generally isn’t covered. | Many plans include some of these benefits. |
Have Medicare and Medicaid, or a long-term condition? A Special Needs Plan may be an option. Ask an agent if one is available in your area.
Turning 65 soon
Signing up for the first time
You have a 7-month window around your 65th birthday to sign up. Start looking about 3 months before.
Sign up for Parts A and B
Through Social Security, during your Initial Enrollment Period: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, that month, and the 3 months after.
Choose your path
Original Medicare with a Supplement and Part D, or a Medicare Advantage plan. If you want a Supplement, the 6 months starting the month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B is when a plan can’t turn you down or charge you more because of your health. Some states give you more rights.
Compare plans against your doctors and prescriptions
Request a quote below, and an agent or representative goes through them with you.
Already on Medicare
Reviewing or changing your plan
Plans can change their costs, networks and drug lists every year. A yearly review checks that yours still fits.
- Read your Annual Notice of Change. Your plan mails it each fall. It lists what’s changing next year.
- Check your doctors and prescriptions against next year’s network and drug list.
- Make changes during Annual Enrollment, Oct 15 – Dec 7. Changes start January 1.
- In Medicare Advantage? From Jan 1 to Mar 31 you can switch plans or go back to Original Medicare, once.
- Going back to Original Medicare? Outside your Medicare Supplement open enrollment, a Supplement plan can usually ask about your health and turn you down or charge you more, unless you have a guaranteed issue right, for example if you joined Medicare Advantage for the first time within the past 12 months. Some states give you more rights. Check before you leave your plan: guaranteed issue rights on Medicare.gov.
Working past 65
Still covered through work
You may not need all of Medicare yet. It depends on your employer and your plan.
- Employer size matters. With 20 or more employees, your work coverage usually pays first. With fewer, Medicare usually pays first, so you’ll want Parts A and B on time.
- Delaying Part B. If you’re covered by a plan from your own or your spouse’s current job, you can usually delay Part B without a penalty.
- When work coverage ends, you have 8 months to sign up for Part B. The 8 months start the month after the job or the group coverage ends, whichever comes first. Don’t count on COBRA or retiree coverage to extend that window.
- Other deadlines are different. The windows for a Supplement or a Part D plan aren’t the same as the Part B window, so check each one before your coverage ends.
Talk with your benefits office and with us before you decide. We’ll go through your situation with you.
Medicare enrollment dates
Dates for the 2027 plan year. Changes made during Annual Enrollment start January 1, 2027; the other windows have their own start dates.
Last reviewed October 2026
Around your 65th birthday
Initial Enrollment Period
Seven months: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, that month, and the 3 months after.
When you’re 65 and on Part B
Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment
During the 6 months starting the month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B, a Supplement plan can’t turn you down or charge you more because of your health. Some states give you more rights.
Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026
Annual Enrollment Period
Join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes start January 1, 2027.
Jan 1 – Mar 31, 2027
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch to another one or go back to Original Medicare, once.
When your life changes
Special Enrollment Periods
Moving, losing other coverage and some other changes let you enroll or switch outside the usual dates.
Get a Medicare quote
Start with your ZIP code. Two more short steps, and an agent or representative calls to go through plans with you. You can also compare plans online while you wait.
Request a Medicare quote
Before your call
What to have ready
- A list of your doctors and specialists
- Your prescriptions, with the dose for each
- Your Medicare card, or the dates your Parts A and B start
- The pharmacy you use
Your doctors and medicines go in your call with an agent or the comparison tool we link after you send your request. Don't enter them in forms on this website.
Want to see plans while you talk? After you send your request, start your quote online and share your quote ID with your agent.
Tools we use with you
How we compare plans, and where to learn more
Plan matching, with your agent
PolicyPair®
PolicyPair® is the plan-matching process our agents and representatives use. It helps them compare plans in your area against your doctors, your medications and the benefits you care about. Your agent then walks you through the options that fit and answers your questions.
Medicare education
VirtualMedicare.com
VirtualMedicare.com is our Medicare education site, with on-demand videos and live seminars that explain how Medicare works, at your own pace.
Opens VirtualMedicare.com
After you enroll
After you enroll, we stay available to help.
Step 1: Get ready for your new plan
Intro call: we verify your doctors, medications, pharmacy and mailing address with your new plan.
Step 2: Start using your benefits
Activation call: we help you activate your benefits and understand the steps to use them.
Step 3: Get help during the year
Maintenance calls: we check in and help when questions come up.
Medicare questions
People 65 and older who are U.S. citizens or have been permanent residents for at least 5 years in a row. People under 65 can qualify after 24 months of Social Security disability benefits, or at any age with end-stage renal disease or ALS.
That depends on the plan. Before you enroll, we check each plan you’re considering against the doctors you see.
Yes, during set enrollment periods each year, and sometimes when your life changes. We can tell you which period applies to you.
Nothing. Our help is free to you. Insurance companies pay us when you enroll, and you never have to enroll to talk with us.
Talk with an agent or representative
Free to you, with no obligation to enroll.
Can't talk now? Request a callback or schedule a call
Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–6 p.m. ET
During Annual Enrollment (Oct 15–Dec 7): Mon–Fri 9 a.m.–8 p.m. ET