Medicare Resources
Learn Medicare at your own pace. Then call me when you're ready.
Plain-English guides, the forms people actually need, my podcast and videos, upcoming presentations, and what is new in Medicare. All free, no sign-up.
Schedule a Free ConsultationOr call or text my mobile at (314) 724-6590.
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Free guide
The Only Two Main Medicare Options
The one-page breakdown of the two paths that I hand to every new client. If you read nothing else, read this.
Turning 65
What to do and when
Your enrollment window, what happens if you are still working, the late penalties, and a checklist for the months before your birthday.
Plan types
Medicare Advantage, Supplement, Part D, Dental & Vision
What each one does, who it fits, and what I check before recommending any of them.
Want the whole book? It is free. Medicare & You 2027 is the official Medicare handbook — about 130 pages, written by Medicare, updated every year. It is the book I learned Medicare from.
This link always opens the newest edition, so it never goes out of date. No sign-up.
Medicare 101: the short version
Medicare is the federal health insurance program for people 65 and older and some younger people with disabilities. Here is the vocabulary you will hear most.
Original Medicare
Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical), run by the federal government. Medicare pays its share and you pay the rest — unless a Supplement picks it up.
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
Private plans that deliver your Parts A and B benefits, usually with drug coverage and extras. You use the plan’s network.
Medicare Supplement (Medigap)
Private insurance that pays the deductibles and copays Original Medicare leaves behind. Standardized by letter, like Plan G and Plan N.
Part D
Prescription drug coverage from private companies, either built into an Advantage plan or purchased as a stand-alone plan.
ANOC (Annual Notice of Change)
The letter your Advantage or Part D plan sends by September 30 each year, explaining what changes on January 1. Never throw it away.
Medicare Savings Programs & Extra Help
State and federal programs that help people with limited income pay Medicare premiums, deductibles and drug costs. Ask me if you might qualify.
SHIP
Free, government-funded Medicare counseling. In Missouri it is called CLAIM; in Illinois, the Senior Health Insurance Program.
Forms you may actually need
Three official forms come up again and again. If you are not sure one applies to you, ask and I will walk you through it.
Below that are the official sources to use when you look something up yourself.
Form CMS-L564 — Request for Employment Information
Proves you had employer coverage when you sign up for Part B after 65. It keeps you from a Part B late penalty for a gap that was not really a gap.
Form SSA-44 — IRMAA Appeal
If your Part B or Part D premium is higher because of your income, and you have had a life-changing event — retirement, reduced hours, and others — this form asks Social Security to recalculate.
Form SF-5510 — Medicare Easy Pay
Sets up automatic monthly payment of your Part B premium from your bank account. Useful if you are not yet drawing Social Security.
Where the official forms and answers live
Plenty of websites look official. These actually are. Save them — all free, no sign-up.
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America.gov
New in 2026 — the government’s single front door for federal services. Ask a question in plain English and it points you to the right agency. Medicare enrollment is expected to move here later.
america.gov -
USA.gov — Federal Forms
The widest net: search any federal form by name or agency. If you know a form exists but not where it lives, start here.
usa.gov/forms -
Medicare.gov — Forms
Medicare’s own forms page: enrollment, claims, appeals, premium payments, plus free publications like Medicare & You.
medicare.gov/basics/forms-publications-mailings/forms -
Social Security — Forms
Every SSA form, and where you apply for Medicare online if you're not yet drawing Social Security. Questions? 1-800-772-1213, TTY 1-800-325-0778.
ssa.gov/forms -
CMS — Medicare Forms Index
The raw list of Medicare forms from the agency that writes them, with the mail, fax and online submission instructions for each.
cms.gov/medicare/forms-notices/cms-forms
Listen, watch, and learn
Podcast
Your Medicare, Made Simple
Each week I break down one piece of Medicare in plain English, so you can enroll on time and avoid penalties.
Video
Medicare With Marc on YouTube
Short, practical answers to the questions I hear most. Watch a few before we meet.
eBooks, videos, and webinars
My Seminars on Call library, including the six-part “Medicare and You” video series.
Medicare 101 presentations
I host free Medicare 101 presentations at my Ellisville office through the year — about an hour, no sales pitch, time for questions. Dates are posted here.
Can't make a presentation? Book an individual appointment instead — call or text (314) 724-6590, email marc@reviewmedicarebenefits.com, or schedule online.
What's new in Medicare
A few things worth knowing right now. I update this as the rules change.
Every fall
Your ANOC is coming. It's the one Medicare letter you should never throw away.
Every Advantage and Part D plan must send an Annual Notice of Change by September 30. Inside: next year’s premium, drug list, copays, network and extras.
Any one of those can change, even if you have been happy. A drug may cost more. A specialist may leave the network.
The envelope usually says “Important Plan Information.” Open it. Check your premium, your medications and your doctors. Then we can meet and compare. The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 through December 7, and changes take effect January 1.
Medicare Trustees Report, June 2026
Is Medicare running out of money? What the report actually says.
The 2026 report says Medicare’s hospital trust fund reaches “insolvency” in 2033. That word is scarier than the reality.
It means reserves would no longer cover all hospital costs. Payroll taxes would still cover about 89 cents of every dollar, and benefits would not vanish.
Congress has stepped in every time Medicare has come close to a shortfall. That is not a guarantee, but it is an unbroken pattern.
What is real today is rising cost — the Part B premium passed $200 a month in 2026.
The useful response is not panic. Review your plan each fall, and ask whether you qualify for a Medicare Savings Program or Extra Help with drug costs.
New pilot program, July 1, 2026
The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program
A new pilot may make certain weight-loss medications far more affordable. Covered drugs include Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo, at a flat $50 monthly copay, against retail prices that can top $1,000.
Eligibility is based on BMI plus related health conditions, and a doctor has to approve it first. The program runs through December 31, 2027.
If you have wondered whether a GLP-1 medication fits your health picture, bring it up when we talk.
Read enough? Let's talk about your situation.
About 20 minutes. In person at my Ellisville office, by phone, or on Zoom. No cost, no pressure.
Schedule a Free ConsultationOnce you book, I will send you a short, secure form so I can look at your doctors and prescriptions before we talk.
To clarity without the confusion,
Marc Mantia
Independent Agent | Review Medicare Benefits, LLC
Office: (636) 203-5840 | Mobile: (314) 724-6590
marc@reviewmedicarebenefits.com
16024 Manchester Rd, Ste 200, Ellisville, MO 63011
P.S. For official information on every plan in your area, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE. For help making sense of it all, call me.