Q&A library
Medicare questions, answered
Clear, current answers to the Medicare questions people ask most — when you can enroll, how much Medicare costs in 2026, what it does and doesn't cover, and how to choose between Medicare Advantage and a Supplement.
Straight, plain-language answers to the Medicare questions people actually ask — enrollment timing, costs, coverage, and choosing between plans. Every answer is current for 2026, with a clear next step to compare the plans available where you live.
Signing up for Medicare
When can I enroll in Medicare?
Your Initial Enrollment Period, the fall window, and the special windows, explained.
Read more →How do I sign up for Medicare?
When enrollment is automatic, when you must act, and the three ways to apply.
Read more →Can I get Medicare before 65?
How disability, ALS, and kidney failure can qualify you before age 65.
Read more →When does my Medicare coverage start?
The start-date rules by enrollment month, and why signing up early matters.
Read more →Do I have to enroll at 65 if I'm still working?
How employer coverage changes the rules, and when you can safely delay.
Read more →Do I need Medicare if I have employer insurance?
The 20-employee rule, the COBRA trap, and how HSAs factor in.
Read more →Changing plans & timing
When is Medicare Open Enrollment for 2026?
The key 2026 dates for the Annual Enrollment Period and the Advantage window.
Read more →How do I change my Medicare plan?
The windows when you can switch, and what you can change in each one.
Read more →What is the late enrollment penalty?
How the Part B and Part D penalties work, and how to avoid them for good.
Read more →Costs & getting help
How much does Medicare cost in 2026?
The 2026 premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket figures in plain language.
Read more →What is IRMAA?
The income-based surcharge on Part B and Part D, and the 2026 brackets.
Read more →How do I appeal IRMAA?
Using Form SSA-44 to lower a surcharge after an income-dropping life event.
Read more →Can I get help paying for Medicare?
Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs for lower incomes, and how to apply.
Read more →Coverage & choosing a plan
What does Medicare not cover?
The gaps in Original Medicare, and the coverage people add to fill them.
Read more →Does Medicare cover dental, vision & hearing?
What's excluded, the medical exceptions, and how Advantage plans add it.
Read more →Can I have both Advantage and a Supplement?
Why you can't combine them, and how to choose between the two paths.
Read more →Can I switch from Advantage back to Original Medicare?
The windows to switch back, and the Medigap catch to watch for.
Read more →Do I need Part D if I take no drugs?
Why enrolling anyway is usually the smart, money-saving move.
Read more →Special situations
Medicare vs. Medicaid: what's the difference?
Two different programs, who qualifies for each, and how they work together.
Read more →What happens to my Medicare if I move?
Which coverage travels with you and which you'll need to change.
Read more →Can I have Medicare and VA benefits?
How VA coverage and Medicare work side by side, and what to keep.
Read more →Ready to compare?
Ready to compare plans in your area?
Enter your ZIP and we’ll take you to PlanMatch Medicare to compare the 2026 plans available where you live.