If you are turning 65
The first questions are usually about dates and what to sign up for. You do not need to understand every plan type on the first visit.
- The 7-month window explains when you can enroll and what happens if you wait.
- Find My Enrollment Window shows which period applies to you.
- Medicare eligibility date estimates when Part A and Part B can start.
- Still working at 65? is for people who have employer coverage and are deciding whether to delay Part B.
- The month-by-month timeline walks through the three months before, the birthday month, and the three months after.
If you already have Medicare
Annual Enrollment is one window. It is not the only one. The site helps you see what can change and what stays the same.
- Which Medicare enrollment window explains Annual Enrollment, Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, and Special Enrollment Periods.
- Medicare changes for 2027 and Medicare Part D 2027 show the numbers CMS has published and which ones are still pending.
- The Annual Notice of Change explains how to read the letter your plan sends each fall.
- Compare Medicare Advantage plans and Compare Part D plans list 2027 options for a California ZIP.
If you want to keep your doctors
Two neighbors can have Medicare Advantage plans from the same company with similar-sounding names and still be assigned to different medical groups. In California the medical group often decides which specialists you can see and which hospital you use. Example: one person is assigned to a group that includes their cardiologist; the other person’s group does not, so that doctor is out of network for them even though the plan names look alike.
- Doctor check looks up a California doctor and shows affiliated hospitals and medical groups. It does not prove which plans the doctor takes.
- Your plan and your medical group explains why the group can matter as much as the plan.
- Find medical groups near you lists groups seen in a Los Angeles County ZIP so you know what to ask the front desk.
- Can I keep my doctor with Medicare? covers Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
If prescriptions are the main concern
A plan with a low or $0 monthly premium can still leave you with high costs for the prescriptions you take. Example: one plan costs $0 a month but places a medication you use on Tier 3 with a $45 copay; another costs $15 a month and covers that same medication at $0 or a low copay at your pharmacy. The tools let you check the medicines you actually take instead of comparing premiums alone.
- Check drug prices takes a plan year, a California ZIP, and a drug name and shows a 30-day estimate.
- Why the lowest Part D number can mislead explains why the premium alone is not the full cost.
- Extra Help describes the program that can lower drug costs if you qualify. Social Security decides.
- Medicare Prescription Payment Plan explains how the monthly payment option works. It spreads the cost. It does not lower it.
If cost is the main concern
Premiums, deductibles, copays, and the yearly maximum are different numbers. The site separates them.
- Cost of Medicare shows official 2026 amounts next to what is confirmed or still pending for 2027.
- IRMAA calculator estimates the extra amount higher-income people may pay for Part B and Part D.
- Part B late enrollment penalty and Part D late enrollment penalty estimate the surcharge for a delayed enrollment.
- See if you may qualify for savings points to Extra Help, Medicare Savings Programs, and Medi-Cal. The agency decides.
If you are helping a family member
You can sit with them, ask the questions, and keep the papers. The site does not require them to do it alone.
- My Medicare Checkup walks through one situation at a time and produces a short list of questions.
- The annual review checklist is a worksheet for doctors, hospital, prescriptions, and the plan’s annual notice.
- Explain a Medicare letter reads one paragraph and gives a plain-English explanation. Do not paste a Medicare number or diagnosis.
- Resources for caregivers lists questions to ask and documents to gather.
How the pieces work together
An article explains the rule in plain language. A tool takes the facts you already have (a ZIP code, a drug name, a doctor’s name, dates) and turns them into a number, a list, or a short set of questions. A worksheet gives you a place to write the answers so you can take them to the doctor’s office, the plan, or a conversation. You do not have to use all of them. Start with the question you already have.
Example: you want to keep your cardiologist. Read the short article on keeping your doctors. Use the Doctor check tool to see the hospitals and medical groups listed for that doctor. Write the group names on the annual review checklist. Take that list to the front desk and ask which exact plan names the office accepts at that address this year. Then check the same names on Medicare.gov.
Example: prescriptions are the main concern. Read why the lowest Part D premium can mislead. Enter your ZIP and the drug names in Check drug prices. Note the tier and the estimated copay. Write those figures on the checklist next to the pharmacy you use. That list is what you compare when you look at plans, not the premium alone.
Example: you are helping a parent who is already on a Medicare Advantage plan. Start My Medicare Checkup together and answer one question at a time. The checkup produces a short list of next steps. Use the Explain a Medicare letter tool on one paragraph from the Annual Notice of Change (do not paste a Medicare number). Write the changed copays and the doctors to confirm on the checklist. When the list is written down, you can Talk with Alan by phone or Zoom, or call (626) 247-8520 (TTY 711). That conversation is with Alan Blackwell, a licensed California insurance agent in Arcadia. You do not have to decide on a plan during the call.
The same pattern works if you are turning 65, already have Medicare, or are mainly worried about cost. The article gives the rule, the tool uses your facts, the worksheet keeps the answers in one place, and the conversation is optional.