Your Initial Enrollment Period starts three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after. Enrolling during this seven-month window helps avoid late enrollment penalties. If you’re still working and have employer coverage, you may delay enrollment, but it’s critical to understand your options to avoid gaps in coverage.

Understanding Medicare before you turn 65 helps you make informed decisions to avoid costly mistakes, like missing enrollment deadlines or choosing a plan that doesn’t meet your needs.

Our Medicare FastTrack service explains Medicare basics, highlights gaps, and guides you on how to cover them, ensuring you’re prepared for healthcare costs in retirement.

Medicare Parts A and B cover hospital stays, doctor visits, and some medical services, but they don’t cover everything. Significant gaps include prescription drugs (not covered by Parts A or B), long-term care, dental, vision, hearing aids, and most out-of-pocket costs like deductibles and copayments.

Additionally, Medicare provides limited coverage for treatments related to serious conditions like cancer, heart attack, or stroke, leaving you with potentially high costs for specialized care, medications, or follow-up treatments. These gaps can lead to substantial expenses if not addressed.

To address Medicare’s gaps, you can consider options like Medicare Advantage plans (Part C), which often include prescription drug coverage and additional benefits like dental or vision, or Medigap plans, which help pay for out-of-pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare. A Medicare Part D plan can also cover prescription drugs.

For added protection against costs from serious conditions like cancer, heart attack, or stroke, specialized plans are available to help cover treatment-related expenses. Choosing the right combination depends on your health needs and budget.

Join our Medicare FastTrack workshop to learn how to cover these gaps, and book an appointment with one of our licensed agents at OneStop Health Brokers to find the best plan for you.