What we help with

Three systems, three sets of rules.

They are not tiers of the same product. Each has its own enrollment windows, its own way of deciding what you pay, and its own way of going wrong. Start with whichever describes you.

Medicare

Two roads, and one of them is harder to reverse.

You either take Original Medicare and usually add a Supplement and a Part D drug plan, or you take a Medicare Advantage plan that bundles it. Both are legitimate. They suit different people, and the choice is worth making deliberately at the start.

Original Medicare with a Supplement: Any provider in the country who accepts Medicare, no network to check and no referrals. Higher monthly cost, more predictable per-event cost, and three things to buy rather than one.
Medicare Advantage: One plan, one card, often lower monthly cost, and frequently extras such as routine dental or vision. In exchange: a network, a service area, and prior authorisation on some services.
The asymmetry worth knowing: Moving from a Supplement to Advantage is generally straightforward. Moving back years later can involve medical underwriting, and underwriting can decline. That is why the first decision matters more than it looks.

Read the full comparison →

Marketplace & individual

What you pay depends on a number you estimate.

Marketplace subsidies are worked out from household size and expected annual income, taken in advance, and reconciled against what you actually earned when you file. That reconciliation is where most of the surprises live.

The metal tiers: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum describe how cost is split between you and the plan — not how good the plan is. It is a cash-flow decision more than a quality one.
The Silver exception: Help with cost sharing, where you qualify for it, is generally available only on Silver plans. Buying Bronze for the lower monthly figure can mean giving up assistance worth more than the difference.
Who decides: The Marketplace determines your eligibility, not us. Any figure we discuss is an estimate based on what you tell us.

How subsidies are decided →

Dental, vision & hearing

The monthly figure is the least useful number.

These plans are cheaper than medical cover, which makes them feel low-stakes, which is exactly why they are read least carefully. Four things decide whether one is any good.

The waiting period: Many plans will not cover major work for a period after the policy starts. If you are buying because you already know you need a crown, this is the whole question.
The annual maximum: Most dental plans cap what they pay in a year. Major work reaches a modest cap quickly, and after that you pay everything.
The category split: Preventive, basic and major work are covered at different rates. A plan can be generous on cleanings and thin on the thing you actually need.
The network: Same as medical: check your dentist by name and location before anything else.

What to check →

Side by side

The same four questions asked of each system.

Medicare

Who it is for: People 65 or over, and some people under 65 with qualifying conditions.
When you can join: A seven-month window around your 65th birthday, then annual windows and life-event exceptions.
The main choice: Original Medicare with a Supplement, or a Medicare Advantage plan.
Where it gets hard: Delaying Part B while still working, and the underwriting that can apply to a Supplement bought later.

Marketplace & individual

Who it is for: People under 65 without employer coverage, and households buying their own.
When you can join: The annual open window, or a Special Enrollment Period opened by a life event.
The main choice: Which metal tier, and whether you qualify for help with cost sharing.
Where it gets hard: Income estimates are reconciled at tax time, and cost-sharing help is generally Silver-only.

Dental, vision & hearing

Who it is for: Anyone — these are usually bought separately from medical cover.
When you can join: Generally any time, though plans set their own start rules.
The main choice: Standalone cover, or an allowance built into a Medicare Advantage plan.
Where it gets hard: Waiting periods before major work, and annual maximums that arrive faster than people expect.

You may not need an agent at all

These services are free, independent, and will show you every plan in your area — including plans we cannot sell. If your situation is simple, they may be all you need.

Medicare.gov Plan Finder — every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan where you live. Call1-800-MEDICARE, 24 hours a day, TTY 1-877-486-2048.
Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) — free one-to-one Medicare counselling from people who sell nothing.
HealthCare.gov — Marketplace plans and subsidy eligibility, plusfree local Navigators.

We list these because the alternative is you finding out later. If you call us and a free route fits better, that is what we will tell you.

Not sure which of the three you are in?

Tell us your age, your ZIP and whether you have employer cover, and we will tell you in a few minutes. Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm ET.

Request a call Call (866) 346-1635

No obligation. We'll tell you if a free option through Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov suits you better. Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm ET.