Guides & resources
Written to be read before you call
Every figure here is sourced to CMS, Medicare.gov or the Census Bureau, labelled with its plan year, and carries a review date. Where something could not be verified, it says so rather than guessing.
More guides
ACA & Health Plans ACA Open Enrollment for 2026: Deadlines, Subsidies and the Metal Tiers Explained
A plain-language, step-by-step guide to enrolling in ACA Marketplace coverage for 2026 — the November 1 to January 15 window, how subsidies work now, and the metal tiers.
ACA & Health Plans Lost Your ACA Subsidy in 2026? Six Real Options Before You Go Uninsured
Your Marketplace premium jumped when the enhanced credits expired. Here is an action-first playbook of six real options to work through before you ever consider going uninsured.
Annuities Turning Savings Into Lifetime Income in 2026: An Honest Guide to Annuities
A balanced 2026 explainer on using annuities for retirement income — the types, the real trade-offs, the two cautions that matter most, and when doing nothing is the right call.
Medicare Medicare Advantage vs. Original Medicare in 2026: The Honest Comparison
An even-handed 2026 comparison of Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare with Medigap — how each works, real costs, networks, out-of-pocket caps, extras, and how to choose.
Medicare IRMAA in 2026: Will a Higher Income Raise Your Medicare Premiums?
IRMAA in 2026 starts at $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint) and adds a surcharge to Part B and Part D. Here is how it works and how to appeal it.
Supplemental What Medicare Leaves You Paying in 2026 — and How Supplemental Coverage Fills the Gaps
Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket cap, a $1,736 hospital deductible, and almost no dental, vision, or hearing. Here are the 2026 gaps in dollars — and the supplemental products that address each.
Medicare Every 2026 Medicare Cost That Changed: Part A, Part B, Part D and IRMAA
A plain-language rundown of every 2026 Medicare number that changed — Part B $202.90, Part A $1,736, the new $2,100 Part D cap, and IRMAA — and what each means for your budget.
Medicare Medicare Part D in 2026: How the $2,100 Out-of-Pocket Cap Actually Works
In 2026, Medicare Part D caps your out-of-pocket drug spending at $2,100 — a real ceiling that did not exist before 2025. Here is how the cap works, why the formulary matters more than the premium, and how to compare plans.
Medicare Turning 65 in 2026: Your First Medicare Decisions, In the Right Order
A step-by-step guide to your first Medicare decisions at 65 in 2026 — the 7-month enrollment window, whether to delay Part B, the Medigap vs Advantage fork, and 2026 costs.
Medicare Every Medicare Enrollment Window, and What Happens If You Miss One
The five Medicare enrollment periods explained plainly — when each one opens, what you can actually change during it, and which penalties are permanent. Updated with 2026 figures.
Medicare Why Medicare Supplement Works Differently in Wisconsin
Wisconsin is one of only three states that does not use the federal Plan A-N Medigap letters. Here is what it actually uses instead, why national comparison sites get it wrong, and how it differs from Illinois.
Reading is a good start. A conversation is better.
These guides cover the general rules. What they cannot cover is your county, your prescriptions and your doctors — which is where the actual answer lives.