Medicare
Medicare is genuinely confusing, and the volume of mail you receive when you turn sixty-five does not help. There are really only a few decisions to make. We will walk through them with you, and we are not going to pretend there is one right answer for everybody.
The parts, briefly
Part A covers hospital stays and is usually premium-free if you worked enough quarters. Part B covers doctors and outpatient care and has a monthly premium. Together those are Original Medicare, and they leave gaps. Part D covers prescriptions. What you decide is how to handle the gaps.
Advantage versus Supplement
A Medicare Advantage plan replaces Original Medicare with a private plan that usually bundles drug coverage and extras, with a network and copays. A Medicare Supplement, or Medigap, sits alongside Original Medicare and pays the gaps, with a higher monthly premium but far fewer surprises and no network. Which is better depends on your health, your budget, your prescriptions, and whether you travel. Anyone who tells you one is always better is selling.
We'd rather do this in person
Medicare is the one product where we really do prefer to sit down with you face to face. There is a lot to go through, the decisions are harder to undo than people expect, and it is much easier to compare plans with the paperwork on the table between us. We are happy to meet at a coffee shop, come to your house, or have you stop by the office — whatever is easiest for you. If you would rather do it over the phone that is fine too, but the offer is there and there is no cost either way.
Timing matters more than people realize
Your Initial Enrollment Period runs seven months around your sixty-fifth birthday. Miss it without other creditable coverage and you can face permanent late penalties on Part B and Part D. There is also a one-time Medigap open enrollment window when you can buy a Supplement without medical underwriting — after that, carriers can turn you down for health reasons. That window is easy to miss and impossible to get back.
Medicare Annual Enrollment — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- October 15, 2026 and December 7, 2026
- Coverage starts:
- January 1
Neither of these is the window for signing up for Medicare in the first place — that one is built around your 65th birthday. These are for choosing and changing plans once you are on it.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- January 1, 2027 and March 31, 2027
- Coverage starts:
- the first of the following month
You'll work with Pat or Spencer directly
Pat and Spencer are the agents here, so whoever quotes medicare is the same person who answers when you call about it later. No call centers, no getting handed off, no explaining your situation twice. They'll work closely with you from the first question through every renewal after it.
Would rather not fill in a form? Call Pat directly at 952-457-5894 and give him your information over the phone. It takes about the same amount of time, and plenty of people prefer it — you're welcome to do it that way.
What we can cover
- Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans
- Medicare Supplement / Medigap plans
- Part D prescription drug coverage
- Prescription formulary checks against your medications
- Initial and annual enrollment period guidance
- Late enrollment penalty avoidance
- Help if you are still working past 65
- In-person meetings at your home, a coffee shop, or our office
Request a Medicare Quote
Tell us a bit about your situation and we’ll get back to you with real numbers. No obligation, and we never sell your information.