Turning 65 soon
You get your dates, what to sign up for first, and how to avoid a late start.
Medicare choices, written out for you in plain English
A free guide for someone turning 65 next spring
Tell us where you stand with Medicare. A person on our team writes you a short guide to your choices and your deadlines, and emails it within two working days.
No sales calls. No plan pushed on you. We never ask for your Medicare or Social Security number.
When can you sign up or switch?
Medicare runs on windows. Miss one and a change can wait a year, or cost you a penalty. Pick your situation and see yours.
- Seven months around your 65th birthdayYour first chance to join
- October 15 to December 7Open Enrollment, every year
- January 1 to March 31One change for Medicare Advantage members
Find your Medicare dates
Your first chance to sign up is a seven-month window around the month you turn 65. After that, two windows come round each year: October 15 to December 7 for anyone with Medicare, and January 1 to March 31 for people in a Medicare Advantage plan.
A general guide to the windows. Social Security confirms your own dates, and so does the guide we write you.
Sample
Medicare guide prepared for Ruth, who turns 65 in April
1. Your dates
Your sign-up window runs from January through July. Apply in January, February or March and your cover can start in April.
2. The parts that apply to you
Part A and Part B to start. You take two prescriptions, so a drug plan matters to you…
3. Questions to ask each plan
- Is Dr. Alvarez in the network?
- Are both of my medicines on the list?
What lands in your inbox
A guide of a few pages, written around your answers. It sets out your dates, the parts of Medicare that matter to you and the questions to ask before you choose.
Tell us your situation
Two minutes on a short form: your ZIP code, where you are with Medicare and the cover you have now.
A person writes your guide
Someone on our team reads your answers and writes the guide for you, not from a template. It lands in your inbox within two working days.
You decide, then enroll officially
Compare plans with the guide beside you, then sign up through Medicare, Social Security or the plan. We are not part of that step.
Who asks us for a guide
Get my free guide
Already on Medicare
You get a list of what to check before the fall window, when plans can change.
Helping someone else
With their agreement, you get a guide written around their situation, sent to you.
Working past 65
You get an explanation of how cover from work sits beside Medicare, and what to ask HR.
Two ways to get Medicare
Almost every choice starts here. Neither route suits everyone; your guide explains how each fits the way you use care.
Original Medicare
Part A and Part B
- Run by the federal government
- See any provider in the U.S. that takes Medicare
- Drug cover comes from a separate Part D plan
- Can be paired with a Medigap policy
Medicare Advantage
Part C
- Run by private companies Medicare approves
- Usually a network of doctors and hospitals
- Most plans include drug cover
- A yearly cap on what you pay for covered care
Where we stand
What we do
- Explain Medicare in plain English
- Work out the dates that apply to you
- Give you questions to put to any plan
- Answer your emails about your guide
What we will not do
- Sell insurance or earn a commission
- Enroll you or fill in forms for you
- Tell you which plan to pick
- Pass your details to agents or insurers
Nobody pays us to mention a plan. For official answers at any hour, Medicare runs its own helpline, and every state has a free counselling programme called SHIP. Your guide gives you both.
Questions people ask first
Is Care Options Network part of Medicare?
No. We are a private company with no link to Medicare, Social Security or any government office. Medicare.gov is the official website, and your guide shows you how to use it.
Why is the guide free?
We built the service to explain, not to sell, so there is nothing to pay for. We never ask for a card number, and no insurer or agent pays us either.
Will anyone try to sell me a plan?
Not through us. Your details stay with our team and are never handed to an agent, broker or insurance company, so the only messages you receive are ones you asked for.
How long does the guide take?
Two working days from the moment you send the form. If we need to check something with you first, we email you and say so.
Can I ask for a guide for my mother?
Yes, if she agrees. Give your own email address and tell us in the notes box that the guide is for her, along with her situation.
Can you sign me up for a plan?
No. Enrollment goes through Medicare, Social Security or the plan you choose, and your guide shows which of those applies to you.
Ready when you are
One short form, and a person writes back with your guide.