What You’ll Pay for Medicare Part A & B in 2026: A Simple Breakdown
CMS has announced the official 2026 costs for Medicare Part A and Part B, including premiums, deductibles, and some coinsurance amounts. If you’re on Medicare now or about to enroll, here’s a simple explanation of what’s changing and what it might mean for your budget. Medicare Part A: Hospital Coverage Medicare Part A helps cover inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health services. The good news is that about 99%
Part D in 2026: What the New $2,100 Limit Means—And What To Do This Fall
Big Part D changes kicked in for 2025, and they keep evolving for 2026. Use September to review your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC) (arrives by Sept 30) and prep for the fall shopping season. The headline numbers 2025: Your out-of-pocket (OOP) spending on Part D drugs is capped at $2,000 for the year. 2026: The OOP threshold is $2,100 (the 2025 cap, indexed). Once you hit it, you owe $0 for covered Part D
Reading Your Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)
Every August/September, your Medicare Advantage (MA) or Part D drug plan drops a thick envelope in your mailbox titled “Plan Annual Notice of Change (ANOC).” It’s the plan’s yearly “heads-up” on what will look different starting January 1, and by rule it has to reach you no later than September 30. Why the deadline? CMS wants to give you at least two weeks to digest any surprises before the Annual Election Period (AEP) opens Oct
Vaccinations: What Medicare Covers At No Charge
August might still feel like pool-weather, but it’s the perfect month to lock in the vaccines that will carry you safely through flu-season and the winter COVID-wave—and, new this year for many of us, RSV protection. Here’s the quick low-down for Medicare beneficiaries 65-plus (and younger friends with certain conditions). Why Book in August? Peak protection on time. It takes about two weeks for your immune system to build top-shelf antibodies after a shot, so
Life Changes? Here’s How to Use a Mid‑Year Special Enrollment Period (SEP)
July is the halfway point in the Medicare calendar—smack between last fall’s Annual Election Period (AEP) and this October’s next round. If you’ve had a big life change since January, you don’t have to wait until October 15 to tweak your coverage. Medicare gives you a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) so you can pivot mid‑year and still keep costs (and stress) under control. What Exactly Is a SEP? When certain events happen—think moving, losing other insurance, or