It's Medicare Time Now, Not October If You're About to Turn 65

Recently I posted about the Fall "Medicare time," which runs from October 15 to December 7 and the Winter general Medicare enrollment period.  But if this is the year you turn 65, the timing is different. You have from three months before you turn 65 through the month you turn 65 until three months after the month in which you turn 65.  In other words, you have a seven month window.

During that window you will need to make all the decisions that most seniors face during annual Part C and Part D enrollment:

• If I am not getting a supplement from a former employer or if I am not still working and getting insurance from that employer, do I want a private Medigap supplement or a public Part C health plan?
• If I want a public Part C plan, does my doctor accept it and/or do I like his or her network? (With private Medigap you don't need to worry about networks and almost all doctors accept it. But typically it costs more--see NOTE.)
• No matter what I choose, do I need a Part D drug plan (or -- for example -- does a former employer provide a creditable plan? Or can I get better coverage from the Veterans' administration? (If I choose a public Part C plan, I have to use the drug plan built into it.)
• If I need a Part D plan, what drugs do I take? (That pretty much but not totally determines which Part D plan you should choose.)
• Do I qualify for any state or federal financial assistance?