Frequently asked questions

Nothing. As licensed independent Medicare brokers, we are paid by the insurance carriers — never by you. Your monthly premium is exactly the same whether you enroll on your own, through us, or directly with the carrier.

No. We are an independent insurance brokerage. Not employed by or endorsed by Medicare, CMS, or any federal agency.

No. We're appointed with every major Medicare carrier in your area. We can compare your options across carriers.

Before recommending any plan we verify your preferred doctors are in network and your prescriptions are on the formulary. If your doctor isn't covered, we'll know up front and look at alternatives.

Within 24 hours during business days. Often same day.

Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month window: 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and 3 months after.

You can enroll during General Enrollment (Jan 1 - Mar 31, coverage starts the month after enrollment). You may face a Part B late enrollment penalty unless you had creditable employer coverage during the gap.

Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 - December 7. Or Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 - March 31 (one switch only). Or a Special Enrollment Period if you qualify.

A window outside normal enrollment periods triggered by life events: losing employer coverage, moving out of plan area, qualifying for Extra Help / LIS, plan termination, etc.

10% of your Part B premium for every full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't sign up. Permanent — for as long as you have Part B.

1% of the national base beneficiary premium for every month you went without creditable drug coverage after your IEP. Also typically permanent.

Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount. If your modified adjusted gross income is above ~$103K (single) or ~$206K (married joint), your Part B and Part D premiums are higher. Based on your tax return from two years prior. There's an appeals process for life-changing events.

Many plans have a $0 monthly premium because the insurer receives a payment from CMS that covers it. You still pay your standard Part B premium (~$175/mo). And $0 doesn't mean free — you'll have copays and coinsurance per service, with an annual out-of-pocket max.

Neither is universally better. Advantage = lower premium, network restrictions, copays per service, often dental/vision/gym extras. Supplement = higher premium, any doctor that accepts Medicare anywhere in the U.S., near-zero out-of-pocket. Which fits depends on your doctors, your travel, your medications, your budget. Book a call and we'll work through your specifics.

Plan G covers everything Plan F does except the small Part B annual deductible (~$240). Plan F was the most popular Medigap plan but is no longer available to people newly eligible for Medicare on or after Jan 1, 2020. Plan G is now the most popular.

The donut hole used to be a coverage gap in Part D where you'd suddenly pay much more for prescriptions. The Inflation Reduction Act eliminated the gap as of 2025. There's now a hard $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap on prescription drug costs.