Do I need a Part D plan if I have a Medicare Advantage plan?

Usually not. Most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage already, which is why they are often called MAPD plans. If you choose a Medicare Supplement instead, you do need to add a standalone Part D plan.

Can I keep my current doctors?

That depends on the plan. Medicare Supplement plans have no networks, so you can see any provider that accepts Medicare. Medicare Advantage plans do have networks. With an HMO you generally need to stay in network or you pay the full cost yourself. With a PPO you can go out of network at a higher cost. We check your specific doctors before you enroll.

How much does Medicare Part B cost in 2026?

The standard premium is $202.90 per month. It usually increases each year, and higher income beneficiaries pay more through IRMAA.

What is the Part D late enrollment penalty?

If you go more than 63 days without creditable prescription drug coverage after becoming eligible, Medicare adds a surcharge to your Part D premium. It is permanent and you pay it for as long as you have Medicare.

Does COBRA count as creditable drug coverage?

No. Medicare does not treat COBRA as creditable coverage for Part D, and this catches people regularly. If you are on COBRA and approaching Medicare eligibility, talk to someone before your 63 days run out.

Do I pay anything to work with you?

We do not charge any consultation fees. We are compensated by the carrier upon enrollment. There’s never any obligation to enroll.

Medicare Plans for Seniors in West Palm Beach

Compare Medicare Advantage, Medigap and Part D plans across multiple carriers with a licensed local broker who is not tied to a single insurance company.

Since 2000

In the insurance business since 2000

Since 2014

Specializing in Medicare since 2014

Over 95%

Over 95% of our clients come from referrals

Why the Mailings and Phone Calls Are Not Helping You Decide

If you are approaching 65, your mailbox is full and so is your voicemail. Every envelope says a different plan is the best one and that you need to call today.

Most of those mailers come from companies that only sell their own plans. We start somewhere else. Your medications, your doctors, and what is actually available in Palm Beach County.

What Your Red, White and Blue Medicare Card Actually Covers

That card from Social Security is called Original Medicare. It has two parts, and it is missing one.

Part A: Hospital and Inpatient Care

Covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities and end of life hospice care. Most people pay no premium for Part A if they worked 40 quarters and paid into Social Security, or if their spouse did.

Part B: Doctors, Tests and Outpatient Care

Covers everything outpatient. Doctor and specialist visits, physical therapy, outpatient surgery, infusions, lab work, MRIs and CT scans. Anything where you are not admitted overnight.

Part D: Prescription Drugs

Not included on your card. Medicare does not sell drug coverage directly. It is only available through private insurance companies, either as a standalone plan or built into a Medicare Advantage plan.

Part B carries a monthly premium that most people pay for life. In 2026 the standard amount is $202.90 per month, and it typically increases each year.

The Five Types of Medicare Coverage We Help You Compare

Because we work with many carriers rather than one, we can put these side by side and tell you honestly which direction fits your situation.

Medicare Advantage Plans

We call these pay as you go plans. Premiums are low or zero, and you pay a copay when you use a service. Most include prescription drug coverage, and many add dental, vision and over the counter credits.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans

Pay up front plans. You pay a monthly premium, then show your red, white and blue card at any provider that accepts Medicare. No networks and no prior authorization. You add a separate drug plan.

Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans

Required if you want to avoid a permanent penalty. Every plan uses a formulary that sorts your medications into tiers, and the tier decides your cost. Two people on different plans can pay very different amounts for the same drug.

Medicare IRMAA and Higher Income Premiums

If your income is above a certain threshold, Social Security adds a surcharge to your Part B and Part D premiums. It is based on your tax return from two years earlier, which catches many people off guard after they retire.

Medicare Special Needs Plans

Medicare Advantage plans built for specific circumstances, including people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, people managing certain chronic conditions, have both Medicare & Medicaid coverage and people living in a nursing facility.

Pay As You Go or Pay Up Front: Medicare Advantage vs Medicare Supplement

Almost every Medicare decision comes down to this one choice, and the simplest way to think about it is when you pay. With Medicare Advantage you pay a little at a time as you use care. With a Medicare Supplement you pay more up front and less at the point of service.

Neither one is better. They fit different people. What matters is how you use care, whether you travel, and what you can afford to pay each month as you get older.

See What Your Prescriptions Will Actually Cost Next Year

Send us your medication list and we will run it against the plans available in your ZIP code. You will see which tier each drug falls into and roughly what you should expect to pay for the year, before you commit to anything.

In our experience this is the step most people skip, and it is the one that causes the biggest surprises in January.

Or call (561) 446-2821 and we will work through it on the phone.

When You Can Enroll, and What It Costs to Wait

Your 7-Month Initial Enrollment Window

Everyone turning 65 gets a seven month window. It opens three months before your birthday month, includes your birthday month, and closes three months after.

When you apply inside that window changes your start date:

Apply in the three months before your birthday month. Coverage starts on the first of your birthday month.
Apply during your birthday month. Coverage starts the first of the following month.
Apply in the three months after. Coverage starts the first of the month after you apply.

If you are already collecting Social Security before 65, enrollment usually happens automatically about four months ahead of your birthday. You apply for Part A and Part B through Social Security at ssa.gov.

If You Are Still Working Past 65

You do not have to take Part B at 65 if you are covered by a group employer plan that counts as creditable coverage. Many of our clients keep employer coverage and enroll in Part B later through a Special Enrollment Period.

Two things to know. Your employer has to verify that coverage using CMS form L564 when you eventually enroll. And COBRA does not count as creditable coverage, which is a mistake we see cost people real money.

The Part D penalty is the reason timing matters. Go more than 63 days without creditable drug coverage and you pay a permanent surcharge on your premium for as long as you have Medicare. It never goes away.

What an Independent Broker Can Do That a Carrier or Call Center Cannot

This decision deserves more than one phone call. Over 95% of our business comes from referrals.

Our Work Does Not Stop the Day You Enroll

Most of what we do happens after enrollment. We tell every client to call us when a bill does not make sense, when a doctor changes, or when a term on a statement is confusing. That follow up is the core of how we work, not an add on.

A $400 Bill That Should Have Been a Copay

A newer client went to the doctor and received a bill for more than $400. They called us, we looked at it together, and then we called the practice to ask how the charge was calculated. The office had the wrong insurance on file. Once it was corrected, the visit was covered by their copay.

Finding Specialists Our Clients Already Trust

One of our clients is not comfortable on a computer. When she needs a specialist, she calls us and we pull the provider list for her. We can also tell her which doctors nearby other clients are actually seeing and are happy with, which is something no website will give you.

Ongoing support includes:

Reviewing bills and statements that do not look right
Pulling provider lists and confirming a doctor is still in network
Reviewing your plan each year before the enrollment period closes, because plans change

One term worth clearing up now. Most people think the maximum out of pocket on a plan is a deductible they have to meet before coverage starts. It is the opposite. It is a ceiling on what you can be asked to pay in a year, and it exists to protect you when something serious happens.

Serving West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter

We work with clients across Palm Beach County, with most of our Medicare clients in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Jupiter. Plan availability and Medigap pricing both change by ZIP code, so local matters more here than people expect.

Office: 840 US Highway 1 North Palm Beach, FL

Phone: (561) 446-2821

Medicare Questions We Hear Most Often

Talk Through Your Options With a Local Medicare Broker

There is no rush and no script. Tell us about your medications, your doctors and what you want your coverage to do, and we will put the options in front of you in plain language.

Most of our clients came to us because someone they know sent them.