Medicare questions, answered plainly.
These are the questions people actually ask me on the phone. No jargon, no sales pitch, no wall of fine print. Just what I would tell you if you were sitting across from me.
Are My Doctors Still in My Medicare Plan's Network Next Year?
Your Medicare plan's network can change every January. How to check your doctors, specialists, hospital, prescriptions and pharmacy before December 7.
Did Medicare Just Call Me? How to Spot a Scam During Open Enrollment
A caller says they're from Medicare and wants your number? Real Medicare won't call out of the blue. How to spot the scam, what to do, and where to report it.
Medicare or the Marketplace: Which Open Enrollment Is Mine?
Medicare Open Enrollment and Marketplace Open Enrollment overlap this fall but serve different people. Which one is yours, and what if your household needs both.
Do My Medicare and TennCare Plans Have to Be From the Same Company?
In a D-SNP with Medicare and full TennCare? Starting January 1, 2027, both plans must come from the same company. Who it affects, why, and your options.
What's the Difference Between Term and Whole Life Insurance?
Term life covers a set number of years. Whole life covers you until you die. What each one gets you, what cash value is, and what happens to coverage at work.
Do I Have to Sell My House to Pay for a Nursing Home in Tennessee?
You don't have to sell your home to qualify for TennCare nursing home coverage. How the income cap, a Qualified Income Trust, and the 5-year look-back work.
When Is Medicare Open Enrollment, and What Can I Change?
Medicare Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. Here's what you can change in that window, what you can't, and what that September letter means.
Do I Qualify for a Medicare Savings Program?
Medicare Savings Programs pay your Medicare premiums if your income is low enough. Here are the 2026 income and asset limits and how to apply through TennCare.
Will Medicare Take My 2027 Social Security Raise?
The 2027 Social Security COLA is forecast at 3.8%. Here's how much of that raise your Medicare Part B premium takes, and the federal rule that caps the bite.
Do I Qualify for Extra Help With Medicare Prescription Costs?
Extra Help lowers Medicare drug costs for people with limited income and savings. Here are the 2026 limits, what counts against them, and how to apply.
Do the New Medicaid Work Requirements Affect My Medicare?
No. The new Medicaid work requirement excludes anyone enrolled in Medicare, and it says so in the rule. What the July ruling changed, and what it didn't.
Do I Have to Sign Up for Medicare at 65 If I'm Still Working?
Still working at 65? Whether you can delay Medicare Part B depends on your employer's size. Here's how the 20-employee rule works and what guessing costs.