As everyone in the US knows, you are eligible for Medicare at age 65.
The Medicare system is *extremely* confusing, and there is not just one "Part" to Medicare--there are actually four parts, A, B, C, and D, and you end up having three of the four, eventually. Either A, B, and C (Medicare Advantage), or A, B, and D (traditional Medicare). Traditional Medicare covers only 80% of expenses, so it is highly suggested that if you go the traditional Medicare route, you also get a Medicare Supplement policy, sometimes referred to as "Medi-Gap."
While Medicare Advantage premiums are cheaper, the coverage is more restrictive--it's like HMOs vs PPOs. IF you can afford it, it is often suggested to go with traditional Medicare. While technically you can change plans, this is fully true only at your initial enrollment. Later changes may need to go through medical underwriting (some states restrict this). As with all things insurance, once you really NEED it, you cannot GET it. (Or, it doesn't help to close the barn door after the horse has bolted.)
If you are still working, as I am, and you have "creditable coverage" (a regular employer health insurance plan AND you work for an employer who has more than 20 employees), you only need to enroll in Part A, provided that your work plan is less expensive/provides as-good or better coverage than Medicare.
Enrolling in Part A is a good thing because it gives you secondary coverage. Your employer plan is the provider of first resort, and Medicare becomes the provider of second resort, until such time as you leave work and enroll in the other parts of Medicare (B and C, or B, D, and a Medicare Supplement).
However, there is a caution to be watched out for if you have an HDHP plan with an HSA (high deductible health plan with a health savings account). You can't have contributions to an HSA account within six months of Medicare. I don't fully understand this, but to be cautious, I switched from my HDHP/HSA plan to a PPO back in April at our company's Open Enrollment (it was weird timing because of my company being acquired; we went through regular timing Open Enrollment again in November).
I was very busy at year end, so I didn't get a chance to enroll in Part A until the holiday break in December. I received a notice today that there was a message in my Social Security account (you enroll in Medicare through your Social Security account log-in), and saw that I am enrolled in Medicare, effective as of August.
But what I also noticed is that there is a message that says "For Part C (Medicare Advantage) and Part D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage) details, please contact Medicare for the status of your enrollment." Nothing is mentioned about Part B (Traditional Medicare)!
This infuriates me, as our government seems to be pushing people into plans that will be less advantageus for many of them. Medicare Advantage is better than nothing, but can end up being far more costly for some, because of high out-of-pocket costs when care is needed, denials and delay in care because of greater need for referrals, and limited access to care with restrictive provider networtks.
I am lucky, at least, in that my education as a financial advisor has taught me the basics of Medicare and its alphabet soup. When it comes time for YOU to go on Medicare, get some help from a broker (they don't cost you, as they are compensated by the insurance companies) and/or from your state's SHIP (state health insurance program) first. I will definitely be using a broker when it comes time to enroll in Parts B, D, and a Medicare Supplement.
January 16th, 2026 at 04:29 pm 1768580967
One question I have is my old employer offers supplemental Medicare insurance that seems to be more expensive than supplemental insurance out in the wild. I'm trying to wrap my head around why this would be a good choice for me. All I know is that once you drop the insurance you can't get back on.
January 16th, 2026 at 06:35 pm 1768588523
If you are still working and have employer insurance, as I do, you typically sign up for Part A only (unless Medicare would be a better deal or you work for an employer with 20 or fewer employees, so that your insurance is not considered "creditable.")
If you are retired, you typically sign up for Part A and B at the same time.
Those of us who are over 65 and still working sign up for Part A, then Part B after we retire. So while I am enrolled for Part A and thus would have Medicare as a *secondary provider* if I were hospitalized, I am NOT enrolled in Part B, yet.
In your situation it sounds like you should consult with an insurance broker, once you are within a year of Medicare. I can suggest HTA Insurance Services, which is the provider we recommend to our clients and which I will use myself. They are located here in PA but work nationwide. The only thing about working with a broker is that brokers don't work with all insurances, though they typically work with multiple providers. A couple of other brokers I know of are Boomer Benefits (who has an informative Facebook group) and i65.com (I have taken Continuing Professional Education from one of their founders). But to start, I would suggest looking up HTA Insurance Services, then looking under Medicare, and watching their "Roadmap to Medicare" webinar on the internet. You'll need to provide your name and email to get access to the webinar, but that's it. Whichever broker you go with when it's time to enroll, they can give some some background to get started. (And you can start the enrollment process 3 months before you turn 65.)
I hope that helps!
January 16th, 2026 at 07:24 pm 1768591448
I chose an Advantage plan with a couple supplemental coverages. A few years ago. I fell and had a serious fracture that including a week’s hospital stay and months of physical therapy. My out of pocket was less than $1000. The bill was hundreds of thousands…so I am not opposed to Advantage plans but everyone needs to make informed decisions.
January 16th, 2026 at 08:08 pm 1768594116
January 19th, 2026 at 12:38 am 1768783081
January 19th, 2026 at 10:24 am 1768818274
January 21st, 2026 at 03:05 pm 1769007959
That being said, I have not yet had this kind of problem where I needed them to go to bat for me, but many others have (see the FB group) and for that reason I think they could be worth their weight in gold cus one thing I hate is having to deal with retailers or health care providers about billing errors.
January 21st, 2026 at 03:12 pm 1769008324
Generally speaking, Medicare doesn't pay for "routine" or preventive care but if you have a specific problem (in other words, waited too long) then they will cover it.
This past fall was reenrollment time and i did end up switching my Part D provider because not only did the monthly premium rise but the one generic I took was put into a different, higher priced tier for no reason that I could see. The process is a bit convoluted and you have to be careful when making changes. I'm not a fan.
January 23rd, 2026 at 02:44 am 1769136293
January 25th, 2026 at 01:48 pm 1769348911