If I were signing up for Medicare this year, here is my game plan, step by step.
Step one: know my seven-month window
It opens three months before my 65th birthday month and closes three months after.
I would get on Part A and Part B right away. Part A is premium-free for most people who worked about ten years — that is 40 quarters. Part B runs $202.90 a month in 2026.
And I would move fast. If I am retiring with no job coverage and I miss that window, I cannot just sign up whenever I want. I would wait months for the next enrollment period with no coverage at all, and if I waited past a year, Part B carries a permanent penalty.
If I were leaning on job coverage to wait instead, I would make sure the company has 20 or more employees. A quick call to HR settles that.
Step two: decide how I cover the gaps
Original Medicare — Part A and Part B — covers a lot, but it leaves about 20% on me, and there is no cap on what that could add up to.
So I would close that gap one of two ways.
A Medicare Supplement, also called Medigap. Higher monthly premium, but my costs are predictable. I can see any doctor in the country that takes Medicare — no networks, no referrals. The tradeoff is that premium, and it usually climbs as I get older.
A Medicare Advantage plan. The premium is low, sometimes nothing, and it often bundles in drugs and extras like dental. But I would be in a network, I might need referrals and approvals, and I would pay copays as I use it. The plan can also change every year.
Neither one is better. It comes down to my budget, my health, my doctors, and whether I travel. That is the real decision here.
Step three: lock in drug coverage
That is Part D.
With a Supplement I would add a standalone drug plan. With most Advantage plans it is built in.
Either way I would not skip it, because Part D carries a late penalty for life too.
That is the order
Enrol on time. Pick your gap coverage. Lock in your drugs.
Want to walk through it on your own dates and budget? Call or text me at 941-412-2362.
Educational only. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.
Falcon Life and Health is not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.