Medicare Plans
Medicare Mistakes To Avoid
After years of sitting at kitchen tables across McLennan County, we see the same handful of errors again and again. Very few of them come from picking the "wrong" plan. Most come from a missed date, an assumption, or a decision made from a mailer.
Here are the ones worth protecting yourself against.
- Most are permanent, not temporary
- Nearly all are avoidable with one review
- Deadlines cause more damage than plan choice
The big ones
Seven mistakes that cost real money
1. Missing your Part B window
If you're not covered by active employer insurance, delaying Part B triggers a penalty that follows you for life. Use our Part B penalty calculator to see the math.2. Going without drug coverage
Not taking prescriptions today doesn't exempt you. Skipping Part D for 63+ days without creditable coverage adds a permanent premium surcharge.3. Assuming the network is unchanged
Hospital and physician contracts are renegotiated annually. Verify your doctors each fall rather than assuming last year's answer still holds.4. Shopping by monthly premium
A $0 premium plan with the wrong drug tiers can cost thousands more across a year than a plan with a modest premium.5. Letting the Medigap window close
Your one guaranteed-issue Medigap window opens with Part B and lasts six months. After that, Texas carriers can ask health questions.6. Enrolling from a television ad
National ads sell one plan nationwide. They cannot tell you whether that plan works with Hillcrest or Providence here in Waco.
7. Never reviewing again
The most expensive mistake of all is set-and-forget. Plans change every January 1; a fifteen-minute annual review during Open Enrollment is usually all it takes.
Also worth knowing
Smaller missteps we correct often
People add a standalone Part D plan while already enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan that includes drugs — which can disenroll them from the Advantage plan entirely. Others drop a Medigap plan expecting to get it back later, then can't pass underwriting. Some never mention a spouse's coverage, and we find out later that a Special Enrollment Period was available all along.
None of this is exotic. It's just detail, and detail is exactly what a local independent agent is for. If you're just starting out, read the Medicare overview and work through the Medicare checklist.
Protect yourself
Worried you've already made one of these?
Most are fixable if we catch them early. Call for a free, judgment-free review of where you stand.