Articles
The vocabulary, in the order it comes up
Each piece covers one document or one decision, and names the official source where the detail is published.
The parts of Medicare, and what each one is for
Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D are not tiers. They are separate pieces of coverage that combine in more than one way, and knowing which letter owns which kind of bill makes every later decision easier.
Foundations
4 min read
Medicare enrollment periods in plain language
Medicare runs on windows rather than on demand. Most of the frustration people describe comes from missing one, so it helps to know which window you are in and what it actually permits.
Timing
4 min read
How a plan's drug list changes what you pay
A formulary is a pricing document as much as a coverage document. Tiers, restrictions and mid-year changes can all move what you pay at the counter without the plan itself changing.
Prescriptions
4 min read
Reading a provider network before you enrol
A directory listing is a weaker promise than it looks. Checking a network properly means asking specific questions of the plan and the practice, and writing down the answers.
Networks
4 min read
What the Annual Notice of Change is telling you
The ANOC is the one piece of plan mail that is designed to be compared rather than read. Here is what it contains, and the order in which to go through it.
Plan changes
4 min read
Original Medicare with a supplement, or Medicare Advantage
The two common structures trade different things. Understanding what each one asks of you, and when each choice is easiest to make, matters more than any feature comparison.
Structures
4 min read
Impactly Media
The articles explain the documents. The texts tell you when one changes.