Parts A, B, C, D — plus Medigap. What each piece does, what it costs, and the deadlines that actually matter.
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Medicare, made simple
A, B, C, D, and Medigap — plus the deadlines that bite.
Medicare comes in parts. Here's the stack.
Part A — the hospital layer
Inpatient care, skilled nursing after a hospital stay, hospice. Premium-free for most people who paid payroll taxes for 10+ years — the layer you've already bought.
Part B — the medical layer
Doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services. This one has a standard monthly premium, adjusted upward for higher incomes (a surcharge called IRMAA).
Part D — the drug layer
Prescription coverage through private plans. Good news that's still sinking in: annual out-of-pocket drug costs are now capped by law.
Part C — the bundle
Medicare Advantage: a private, all-in-one alternative to A + B that usually includes D plus extras like dental and vision. Often low or $0 premium — with networks and prior authorizations attached.
Medigap — the gap-filler
Not a part — a private supplement that pays Original Medicare's deductibles and coinsurance. Pairs with a separate Part D plan. Higher premium, near-total cost predictability.
The big fork at 65.
Original Medicare + Medigap + Part D
- ●Any doctor in the country who accepts Medicare — no networks
- ●Predictable costs: Medigap absorbs most of the cost-sharing
- ●Higher monthly premiums
- ●No prior-authorization gatekeeping for most care
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
- ●Often low or $0 extra premium, frequently with dental and vision
- ●Networks — your doctors and hospitals must be in-plan
- ●Prior authorization is common for bigger services
- ●Out-of-pocket costs rise with usage, up to a yearly cap
More premium and more freedom, or less premium and more rules. Your health, travel habits, and budget decide — not the loudest TV ad.
The deadlines that actually matter.
Medicare is forgiving about almost nothing on the calendar. These are the dates to circle.
64¾
Your enrollment window opens
The initial enrollment period runs 7 months: the 3 months before your 65th-birthday month, that month, and the 3 after.
65
The Part B decision
Enroll — or document qualifying employer coverage. Enrolling late without it means a premium penalty that lasts for life, on Part B and Part D both.
65+
Medigap's golden six months
For 6 months after your Part B start, Medigap is guaranteed-issue regardless of health. Miss it, and in most states insurers can decline or surcharge you later.
Every fall
October 15 – December 7
Annual open enrollment: switch Medicare Advantage or drug plans. Worth a yearly check even if you're happy — plans change their networks and formularies.
Three expensive assumptions.
Tap a card to flip it.
One honest note before you decide.
No private agency offers every plan available in your area — including us. The official, complete picture always lives at medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE, and any advisor worth your time will point you there without being asked.
One more thing worth knowing early: if you're still working at 65 with qualifying employer coverage, you can usually delay Part B without penalty — but 'qualifying' has rules, so confirm before you skip the deadline rather than after.
Turning 65 soon — or helping a parent who is?
We'll walk the fork in plain English: what each path costs, what each path restricts, and which deadlines apply to your exact birthday.