The most reliable source for information about Medicare is the agency’s own website, www.medicare.gov/ . It’s menus and search tool make it easy to navigate and find the information you need. Below are direct links to some of the most useful parts of the website, along with a few other selected sources.
Where to get personalized help with your Medicare-related questions
If you need personalized help such as understanding & comparing your options or other health insurance questions, your state SHIP program should be the first place you call.
- Go to https://www.shiphelp.org/ for a list of all state SHIP programs.
- For the SHIP program in Illinois, go to ilaging.illinois.gov/ship.html.
- Find a county-by-county list of where SHIP counselors are located at https://ilaging.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/aging/ship/documents/ship-site-list-by-county.pdf.
- Illinois SHIP recorded a webinar that thoroughly covers Medicare and SHIP’s services. It is worth watching. Go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQYuBFDTcq8. This was recorded during the pandemic, so you can ignore information that was specific to that time.
Before talking to an insurance agent or broker, learn about them at https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/exclusives/101229.
Medicare.gov – Tools for Making Decisions
Start here for most questions about Medicare:
- https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare You will choose from these steps:
You can also jump directly to decision-making tools for specific questions.
Am I eligible for Medicare? How much will I pay?
- Start here for eligibility AND premium (click the Premiums link on the Eligibility results page) https://www.medicare.gov/eligibilitypremiumcalc#eligibility
- Or go directly to the premium calculator at https://www.medicare.gov/eligibilitypremiumcalc#premiumcalc&ebirth_month=9&ebirth_day=8&ebirth_year=1958&fica=yes&livesInsideUS=yes&eHealthInsurance=no&enrolledIn=neither
- You’ll find a good overview of the premiums, deductibles, and copays/coinsurance of Parts A, B, and D at https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/what-does-medicare-cost. It also provides basic info about the costs of Medigap (Supplement) insurance and Medicare Advantage, with links to get more info about the cost of specific plans.
Should I enroll in A & B when I turn 65? This fact sheet will walk you through the relevant questions:
How do I sign up for Medicare?
When can I buy a Medigap policy?
- https://www.medicare.gov/health-drug-plans/medigap/ready-to-buy/when
- Illinois has two ways that you may be able to choose a new Supplement (Medigap) policy if you did not purchase one initially, or you have one but would like to change. See page 6 of any of the three Illinois region comparison guides at https://ilaging.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/aging/ship/documents/chicagomedsupweb.pdf
What Advantage, Part D Prescription and Supplement (Medigap) are available in my area? How do their benefits and costs compare?
When can I switch plans, or join a Part D prescription plan or an Advantage Plan for the first time? These aren’t interactive tools, but they list and explain each of the different types of enrollment opportunities and who is eligible for each one.
- https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/get-more-coverage/joining-a-plan
- This Illinois publication has perhaps the most extensive chart that explains ALL of the enrollment/change opportunities: https://ilaging.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/aging/pubs/pdf/11219-understanding-medicare-part-c-d.pdf
If you’re a visual person and like to using flowcharts to figure things out, you might like this set of tools created by a company called fpPathfinder. That company licenses its tools to financial planners, who in turn can make them available on their websites. For example, you’ll find all five of their Medicare flowcharts at https://retirementplanningeducation.com/free-stuff. Scroll down to the Medicare tools. Or use these links to the individual flowcharts:
- Am I eligible for Medicare Part A and Part B?
- Should I change my Medicare coverage during Open Enrollment
- Will I avoid IRMAA surcharges on Medicare?
- Will I avoid Medicare Late Enrollment Penalties?
- Will I be enrolled automatically in Medicare?
Medicare Publications
Medicare’s most complete publication is Medicare and You. Revised every year, you’ll receive a hard copy each year unless you opt out. It should be required reading for anyone who is enrolling in Medicare for the first time.
- Order a hard copy or download a PDF of Medicare & You at https://www.medicare.gov/publications Scroll down if you don’t see the Medicare & You link.
- The hard copy will include state-specific info not provided in the PDF version, listing cost details about individual Advantage plans, Part D prescription plans, and Medicaid plans. Neither version includes details about Supplement Plans. But you can view all of that information for all those types of plans with the Compare Plans tool at https://www.medicare.gov/plan-compare/.
Medicare also offers other publications that provide more complete details on specific subjects.
- Search for publications by category, language, and keyword of product number (if you know it) at https://www.medicare.gov/publications
- I recommend reading Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans
Karen Chan Financial Education & Consulting, LLC 