Resources

Plain-spoken Medicare guides, written for the kitchen table.

We don't publish "10 Tips" listicles or anything that looks like Medicare-flyer-from-the-mailbox. These guides are the long-form pieces we wished existed when our parents and our clients first walked into Medicare. They are written for the kitchen table — for the people actually reading the 30-page Annual Notice of Change, comparing plans on the iPad mini at 7 AM, or trying to figure out whether to switch from Advantage to Supplement before the next AEP.

If you have a Medicare question that should be on this list and isn't, call us. We'll write it.

Six Plain-Spoken Guides

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January 10, 2026 · 9 min read

Turning 65: What to do in the seven months before your birthday

The Initial Enrollment Period starts three months before your 65th-birthday month and runs through three months after. Most clients should begin the conversation no later than four months out. Here is the calendar we walk through with new clients.

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February 4, 2026 · 14 min read

Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplement: How to think about the trade-off

The single most-asked question we get. The honest answer is that neither one is universally right — they each serve a different kind of life. Here is the framework we use at the table to figure out which one fits each client.

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February 22, 2026 · 11 min read

The Annual Notice of Change (ANOC): How to read the 30-page letter your plan sends every fall

Every September your Advantage or Part D plan sends a 30-page ANOC describing the changes for the coming year. Most clients give up by page 4. Here are the pages that actually matter and what to look for on each.

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March 12, 2026 · 8 min read

Part D and the donut hole: What the 2025 redesign actually changed

The Inflation Reduction Act eliminated the traditional coverage gap and capped annual Part D out-of-pocket spending at $2,000 in 2025 (now $2,100 in 2026). Here is what actually changed, and what stayed the same.

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March 28, 2026 · 12 min read

Helping a parent enroll in Medicare: A guide for adult children

Many of our clients arrive because their adult son or daughter scheduled the appointment. Here is what the adult child should know in advance — about the Initial Enrollment Period, about appointing yourself as a representative, and about the conversations worth having ahead of time.

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April 9, 2026 · 10 min read

Travel and Medicare: What changes when you move, snowbird, or take a long trip

Medicare Advantage networks are regional; Medicare Supplement is nationwide. Snowbirds, RV travelers, and clients who relocate face different rules. Here is what to do — and when — depending on the kind of travel you're planning.

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Have a Medicare question we haven't written about?

Call us. We'll either answer it on the phone or add it to this page.

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