Medicare 101 — Every Answer, Sourced.
Plain-English guides to the decisions of retirement healthcare, each reviewed against CMS.gov and SSA.gov with current 2026 figures. Start anywhere; they link to each other.
Every 2026 figure quoted across these guides comes from CMS.gov, Medicare.gov or SSA.gov, and each guide links its own source inline. Reviewed against the current plan year, not carried over from last year.
The Parts of Medicare, Explained
What Medicare Parts A, B, C and D actually cover, what they cost in 2026, and how they fit together — explained in plain English by a Tampa Medicare specialist.
Read the guide →Medicare Enrollment Periods & Deadlines
Your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, the fall Annual Enrollment Period, and the Special Enrollment Periods that can save you from lifelong penalties.
Read the guide →IRMAA: Medicare's Income Surcharge
IRMAA is Medicare's income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D, set by your tax return from two years ago. Who pays it, the 2026 brackets, and how to appeal.
Read the guide →What Medicare Costs in 2026
The verified 2026 Medicare numbers: $202.90 Part B premium, $283 Part B deductible, $1,736 hospital deductible, and the $2,100 Part D out-of-pocket cap.
Read the guide →Social Security: 62 vs 67 vs 70
Claim at 62 and your check shrinks for life; wait to 70 and it grows about 8% a year past full retirement age. An RSSA®-certified look at the claiming decision.
Read the guide →Free Calculators
IRMAA and Part B penalty calculators using verified 2026 figures — run your own numbers, nothing stored.
Open the tools →Frequently asked questions
Where should I start if I am new to Medicare?
With the parts. Read “The Parts of Medicare, Explained” first, then “Enrollment Periods & Deadlines” — between them they cover what you are buying and when you have to decide.
How is this different from Medicare.gov?
Medicare.gov is the authoritative source and we cite it throughout. These guides translate it into the decision you are actually facing, with the 2026 numbers already filled in.
Are the dollar figures current?
Yes — every figure is the 2026 plan-year value, sourced to CMS.gov or SSA.gov inline, and reviewed against the current plan year rather than carried over.
Do I have to read all of them?
No. Each guide answers one question on its own. They link to each other where a decision depends on another one.
Prefer answers about YOUR situation?
Free consultation with Virginia — CLTC, RSSA®.