Turning 65? Medicare's deadlines, penalties and premiums — decoded in plain English
Medicare is not one program but four, wrapped in deadlines that charge you for being late — 10% a year on Part B, for life — and a premium that quietly depends on a tax return from two years ago. Here, every rule is explained in plain English, with the official figures for 2026 and worked examples you can check with a pencil.
Step 1
Enroll on time
Seven months around your 65th birthday decide your start date — and whether penalties attach to your premiums for the rest of your life.
Step 2
Know the real numbers
The 2026 premium is $202.90, the hospital deductible $1,736, the drug cap $2,100 — and IRMAA can multiply the premium for higher earners.
Step 3
Choose, then re-choose
Medigap or Medicare Advantage is a real trade-off, not a default — and every fall, October 15 to December 7, you may decide again.
The guides
Ten complete guides to US Medicare — from the enrollment windows around your 65th birthday to the appeal that cuts a stale premium. Each reads in a few minutes and stands on its own.
Questions about this site
What Medicare Decoded is, where its figures come from, and what it does not do.
Our network
Medicare Decoded belongs to a family of article sites written in the same spirit: one subject at a time, clear explanations, no unnecessary jargon. Here are the network's other titles.
About
Medicare Decoded is an independent educational site about US Medicare: the enrollment windows and late penalties, what Parts A, B, C and D do and do not cover, premiums and the income-related surcharges (IRMAA), the choice between Medigap and Medicare Advantage, drug coverage under Part D, working past 65, and the appeals process. Its guides are written specially for this site, in deliberately plain language, from the rules published by Medicare (medicare.gov), the Social Security Administration (ssa.gov), and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (cms.gov).
The site is for people approaching 65 — and for the family members who help them — who want to understand the system before its deadlines make their decisions for them. It sells no insurance, runs no sponsored plan comparisons, and takes no commissions from any insurer or broker.
Medicare figures change every year: the amounts quoted here are the official amounts for 2026, announced by CMS in November 2025, and should always be confirmed against your own notices from Social Security and your plan's documents before you act. For advice about your personal situation, a licensed insurance adviser or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is the right next step.