Medicare Plans
Medicare Mistakes To Avoid
We've sat with hundreds of Wichita County families, and the same handful of errors keep showing up. Rarely is it the "wrong" plan that hurts someone. It's a missed date, a bad assumption, or a decision made from a postcard in the mail.
Here's what's worth guarding against.
- Most mistakes stick around for life
- Nearly all can be caught with one review
- A missed date usually costs more than the wrong plan
The big ones
Seven mistakes that cost real money
1. Missing your Part B window
Without active employer coverage, delaying Part B adds a penalty that follows you for good. Run the numbers on our Part B penalty calculator before you wait it out.2. Going without drug coverage
Skipping prescriptions today doesn't excuse you tomorrow. Go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage and Medicare adds a permanent premium surcharge.3. Assuming your network hasn't changed
Hospital and physician contracts get renegotiated every year. Check your doctors each fall instead of trusting last year's answer.4. Choosing by monthly premium alone
A $0 premium plan with the wrong drug tiers can end up costing thousands more over the year than a plan with a modest premium attached.5. Letting the Medigap window close
Your one guaranteed issue Medigap window opens when Part B starts and lasts six months. After that, Texas carriers are allowed to ask health questions.6. Enrolling straight from a television ad
National ads and out of state call centers push one plan nationwide. They cannot tell you whether that plan actually works with United Regional here in Wichita Falls.
7. Never reviewing your plan again
The costliest habit of all is set it and forget it. Plans reset every January 1, and a fifteen minute check during Open Enrollment is usually enough to catch a problem.
Also worth knowing
Smaller missteps we fix often
Some folks add a standalone Part D plan while already carrying drug coverage inside a Medicare Advantage plan, which can drop them from that Advantage plan entirely. Others cancel a Medigap plan expecting to buy it back later, then find they can't pass underwriting. And plenty of retirees, including Sheppard Air Force Base retirees on TRICARE For Life, never mention a spouse's coverage, so a Special Enrollment Period goes unused.
None of this is complicated once someone points it out. That's what a local independent agent is for. If you're just getting started, read the Medicare overview and work through the Medicare checklist.
Free review
Worried you've already made one of these?
Most of these are fixable if we catch them early. Call for a free, judgment free look at where you stand.