Prepared 2025 · Medicare Planner
Medicare has four parts, a dozen deadlines and hundreds of plans. This planner turns all of that into a simple page you can work through — checklists, real calendars and a side-by-side comparison. Free guidance from licensed advisors, start to finish.
It's free — and there's no obligation. Promise!
— the HCB team
Quick facts
Eligibility age
People helped
Member rating
Online support
Five quick questions. There are no wrong answers — this is just to see where you stand before we look at plans together.
Most people check all five.
Each part covers something different. Most people combine them — here's a plain-language page for each one.
Part A
Covers inpatient care. If you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes for 40 quarters, there's usually no monthly premium.
Part A is usually premium-free!
Part B
Covers outpatient and preventive care. Part B carries a standard monthly premium that can vary with income.
Part C
An all-in-one alternative offered by private carriers. Bundles Parts A and B, usually D, and often extras.
Part D
Helps pay for prescriptions. Each plan has its own formulary, so matching your medication list matters.
The annual window opens October 15 and closes December 7. Everything shaded below is time you still have.
Agenda · enrollment periods
Open Enrollment
Join, switch or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes take effect January 1.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment
Already in Advantage? Switch to a different Advantage plan or go back to Original Medicare.
Initial Enrollment Period
Your first seven-month window around your 65th birthday month. Enrolling on time avoids penalties.
Special Enrollment Period
Moving, losing employer coverage or other life events can open a window outside the usual dates.
Time until Dec 7
Enrollment window
Days
Hours
Minutes
Seconds
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The same worksheet our advisors fill in with you. Neither column is "better" — it depends on your doctors, your prescriptions and your budget.
| Feature | Original Medicare | Medicare Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly Premium | Part B premium applies | Varies — often $0 |
| Provider Choice | Any Medicare provider | Network-based |
| Prescription Coverage | Add Part D separately | Usually included |
| Dental & Vision | Not covered | Often included |
| Out-of-Pocket Cap | No annual limit | Annual maximum |
| Referrals Required | No referrals needed | Varies by plan |
Not sure? We'll compare both for you.
Compare My OptionsNo pressure at any point. You can stop after step two and simply keep the comparison.
Your ZIP code, your doctors and the prescriptions you take. That's all we need to narrow the field.
A licensed advisor checks 30+ carriers and lays out the plans that actually fit — costs, networks and drug lists side by side.
Pick the plan you like and we walk the paperwork through with you — then we're here all year if anything changes.
We're an independent guide, not a carrier. Here's what that means in practice.
Our guidance never costs you anything, and plan prices are the same wherever you enroll.
Every advisor is state-licensed and trained annually on Medicare rules and plan changes.
No house brand, no quotas. We show what matches your doctors and medications.
A wide shelf of national and regional plans, reviewed in one sitting.
We don't disappear on December 8 — claims questions and plan changes, all year.
We're paid by carriers — never by you.
Left on our page by people who worked through the same planner.
“I'd put off Medicare for months. We went through it in one afternoon and I finally understood Part D.”
Margaret R. · Ohio
“They found a plan that kept both my doctors AND lowered what I pay each month. No pressure at all.”
James T. · Florida
“The calendar alone was worth it. I knew exactly which week I had to act — and they stayed in touch after.”
Linda M. · Arizona
The six we hear most often.
No. Our service is completely free to you. We're compensated by the insurance carriers when someone enrolls, and plan premiums are identical whether you enroll through us or on your own.
Open Enrollment runs October 15 through December 7 each year, with coverage starting January 1. If you're turning 65, your Initial Enrollment Period covers the three months before your birthday month, that month, and the three months after. Qualifying life events can open a Special Enrollment Period at other times.
It depends on how you use care. Original Medicare gives you the widest provider freedom; Medicare Advantage bundles extras and caps your annual out-of-pocket spending but uses networks. Our advisors map both against your doctors and prescriptions so the trade-off is visible.
Usually, yes. With Original Medicare you can see any provider who accepts Medicare. With an Advantage plan it depends on the network — so we check your specific doctors against each plan before you decide.
Your current plan generally rolls over and you'd wait for the next window — with limited exceptions such as the January 1 – March 31 Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment or a Special Enrollment Period. Late Part B or Part D enrollment can also create permanent premium penalties, which is why the date matters.
No. We are a private, independent insurance resource and are not connected with or endorsed by the federal Medicare program. For official information, visit Medicare.gov.
Next step
A licensed advisor will walk through your options, answer every question and help you enroll — with no cost and no obligation attached.
no cost, no obligation, ever
Reference