Free Guide · Medicare
The Medicare Decision Guide
A 4-step framework for picking the right plan
Most people approach Medicare backwards — they shop plans before they understand the system. This guide flips that. Four steps, in order. Once you've gone through them, you'll know exactly what kind of plan fits and what questions to ask any agent or carrier.
What's inside (8 pages)
- The 4 parts of Medicare explained simply
- Advantage vs Supplement decision framework
- How to pick the right Medigap letter (G, N, F, HDG)
- Every enrollment window + what happens if you miss it
- Self-check: are you ready to enroll?
Who it's for
Turning 65 soon, already on Medicare and wondering if your plan fits, or helping a parent navigate Medicare for the first time.
What you'll learn
Learn the four parts before you shop
Part A covers the hospital and is usually premium free after ten years of work. Part B covers doctors and outpatient care and has a monthly premium that rises with income. Part C is Medicare Advantage, a private bundle. Part D is prescriptions. Shopping plans before you understand these four is how most people end up in the wrong one.
Make the one decision that shapes everything else
Advantage or Supplement. Advantage usually has a low or zero premium, a network, and copays as you go, with plan changes every year. A Supplement costs more each month, works with any doctor who takes Medicare, and rarely changes. Travel, specialists, and chronic conditions point to a Supplement. Staying local and healthy points to Advantage.
If it is a Supplement, pick the letter on price
Medigap plans are standardized: Plan G from one carrier covers exactly what Plan G from another does. So you compare premium, not coverage. G is the most popular. N trades a lower premium for small copays. High Deductible G has the lowest premium and a deductible to meet first. F is closed to anyone new to Medicare since 2020.
Know every window, because the penalties last for life
Seven months around your 65th birthday to enroll. Six months from Part B to buy any Supplement with no health questions. October 15 to December 7 every year to change Advantage or drug plans. January through March to leave an Advantage plan. Miss the first two and you may pay a penalty on every premium for the rest of your life.
Price the drug plan on your prescriptions, not the premium
Part D plans are not interchangeable. Two plans with the same premium can differ by hundreds of dollars a year on the same three prescriptions, because each one puts drugs in different tiers with different copays. Enter your exact medications and pharmacy before you compare, and recheck every fall, since formularies change on January 1.
Run the self check before you sign anything
Do you know your Part B premium at your income? Have you chosen Advantage or Supplement? Do you know which carrier has the lowest G or N rate in your zip code? Do you know your drug costs under different Part D plans? Are your doctors in network or accepting Medicare? A no on any of these means slow down.
Common questions
What is the most important Medicare decision?
Advantage or Supplement. It decides your network, your monthly cost, and whether you can switch later without health questions. Everything else follows from it.
Do Medigap plans differ between insurance companies?
No. Plan G is identical everywhere by law. Only the premium differs, so the same coverage can cost very different amounts depending on the carrier.
What happens if I miss my Medicare enrollment window?
Coverage can be delayed months, and Part B and Part D late penalties are added to your premium permanently. The seven month window around 65 is the one everybody gets once.
Can I change my mind after picking a plan?
Advantage and drug plans can change every fall. Moving from Advantage to a Supplement later usually means passing health questions, which is why the first choice matters.
Educational content only. Not financial, tax, or legal advice. Always consult a licensed professional before acting on the information in this guide.