Watch first — just over a minute
One minute with me before you read a word of this page. Call or text my mobile at (314) 724-6590 with any Medicare question.
Turning 65
Everyone's selling you something. Here's the truth nobody puts in an ad.
There are only two ways to get Medicare: Original Medicare, or Medicare Advantage. Understand the difference between those two paths and you've won. Fifteen minutes with me and you'll get it. Free.
Schedule Time with MarcOr call or text my mobile at (314) 724-6590 with any Medicare question.
Want the whole thing on one page? I put the full turning-65 walkthrough online: your seven-month window, how to file through Social Security, the two paths side by side, and the costliest mistakes.
The two paths, side by side
This is the decision. Everything else — plan letters, carriers, extras — comes after you choose a path.
Path 1
Original Medicare + Supplement + Part D
- Any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare
- No networks and no referrals
- Predictable costs — the Supplement pays most of what Medicare doesn't
- You pay a Supplement premium and a separate drug plan premium, on top of Part B
- Dental and vision are separate, if you want them
Path 2
Medicare Advantage (Part C)
- One plan from a private insurer, drug coverage usually included
- Low or $0 monthly premium, on top of your Part B premium; you pay copays as you use care
- Extras like dental, vision, hearing, and fitness often built in
- You use the plan’s network, and some care needs the plan’s approval first
- A yearly cap on what you can spend out of pocket
Both paths include Parts A and B — and the Part B premium. You pay it either way: $202.90 a month in 2026 for most people, usually taken out of your Social Security check. Part A is normally free.
A Medicare Advantage plan does not replace that premium — it comes on top of it. So does a Supplement. Choosing a $0 premium Advantage plan does not mean Medicare stops costing you the Part B premium.
Medicare basics: the four parts
Medicare is federal health insurance for people 65 and older, and some younger people with disabilities. It comes in parts, and the letters trip everyone up at first.
Part A
Hospital
Inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing care, hospice and some home health care. Most people pay no premium for Part A.
Part B
Medical
Doctor visits, outpatient care, supplies and preventive services. Part B has a monthly premium — $202.90 in 2026 for most people, taken out of Social Security. You pay it on both paths.
Part C
Medicare Advantage
Private plans that deliver your Part A and B benefits, usually with drug coverage and extras. This is Path 2 above.
Part D
Drug coverage
Prescription coverage from private companies, either built into an Advantage plan or as a stand-alone plan alongside Original Medicare.
Where does a Supplement fit? A Medicare Supplement (Medigap) is not a “part” of Medicare. It is private insurance that pays the deductibles and copays Parts A and B leave behind. It is what makes Path 1 work.
Key dates and deadlines
Get the timing right and you avoid penalties that can follow you for life. Here's the calendar.
Your Initial Enrollment Period
Seven months: it starts three months before your birthday month and ends three months after. This is when you enroll in Parts A and B and choose your path.
Already on Social Security?
Already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement? You are enrolled in Parts A and B automatically, and your card arrives about three months before your birthday. If not, you sign up through Social Security.
Still working at 65?
Covered by your or your spouse’s current employer? You may be able to delay Part B without penalty, and you get eight extra months when that coverage ends. Whether to delay depends on the size of the employer.
October 15 – December 7, every year
The Annual Enrollment Period. Once you are on Medicare, this is when you can switch an Advantage or Part D plan for the coming year.
The penalties, in plain numbers
Medicare penalizes late enrollment, and the penalties never go away. That is why the timing matters so much.
Part B late penalty
Your Part B premium goes up 10% for every full 12-month period you could have had Part B but didn't sign up — and you pay that higher premium for as long as you have Part B.
Part D late penalty
Go 63 days or more without drug coverage that's at least as good as Medicare's, and you'll pay an extra 1% of the national base premium for every month you waited. Added to your premium permanently.
The good news: both are entirely avoidable. Avoiding them is most of what a 15-minute conversation with me accomplishes.
What to do 3 to 6 months before your birthday
- Write down your doctors and your prescriptions. Names, dosages, and the pharmacy you use. This list decides more than anything else.
- Decide whether you'll keep working and keep employer coverage. If yes, we'll talk about whether to delay Part B.
- Read the free guide so the two paths make sense before we meet.
- Sit down with me for 15 to 20 minutes. I'll run your doctors and drugs against the plans available where you live and show you the real numbers.
- Enroll on time. I handle the application and confirm your start date, so your coverage begins the first of the month you turn 65 with no gap.
Turning 65 this year? Let's get it right the first time.
About 20 minutes. In person at my Ellisville office, by phone, or on Zoom. No cost, no pressure — and no one selling you anything.
Schedule Time with MarcOnce you book, I will send you a short, secure form so I can look at your doctors and prescriptions before we talk.
To getting this right the first time,
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. Getting expert help with Medicare doesn't cost you anything extra. Going without it might.