Medicare 2026

Medicare Initial Enrollment Period in Bentonville

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — If you're approaching your 65th birthday, one date matters more than the cake: the start of your Initial Enrollment Period. This is the seven-month window when most people first sign up for Medicare, and missing it can mean gaps in coverage and lifelong late penalties.

Aging into Medicare: the enrollment window you don't want to miss

Here's a plain-English walkthrough of how the window works, what to do first, and where to get free help in Benton County.

What the Initial Enrollment Period actually is

Your Initial Enrollment Period, or IEP, is a seven-month stretch built around the month you turn 65. It includes:

• The three months before your 65th birthday month
• Your birthday month
• The three months after your birthday month

During this window, you can enroll in Part A (hospital), Part B (doctor visits and outpatient care), and — if you want it — a Part D prescription drug plan or a Medicare Advantage plan. This IEP is separate from the fall Annual Enrollment Period (October 15 – December 7), which is for people already on Medicare.

If your birthday falls on the first of the month, Medicare treats you as turning 65 the month before, and your window shifts one month earlier.

Why timing matters more than people think

Signing up in the three months before your birthday month is the sweet spot. Do it then, and your coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. Wait until your birthday month or later, and your coverage start date gets pushed back.

Miss the window entirely and you may face:

• A Part B late enrollment penalty — an extra 10% added to your monthly premium for each full 12 months you could have had Part B but didn't. That penalty typically lasts as long as you have Part B.
• A Part D late enrollment penalty if you go 63 days or more without creditable drug coverage after you were first eligible.
• A wait until the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31) to sign up, with coverage starting the following month.

There are important exceptions — mainly for people still working with employer health coverage. More on that below.

First steps for Bentonville residents

Bentonville is in Benton County, and while Medicare itself is a federal program, the plan choices available to you are set at the county level. As you approach 65, here's a simple checklist:

1. Decide when to start Social Security and Medicare. They're linked but not identical. If you're already drawing Social Security before 65, you'll usually be enrolled in Parts A and B automatically. If not, you'll need to sign up yourself at ssa.gov. 2. Check your current coverage. If you or your spouse is still working and covered by a large employer plan, you may be able to delay Part B without penalty. Ask the employer's benefits office for something in writing about "creditable coverage." 3. Think about how you want Medicare delivered. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) plus a standalone Part D drug plan is one path. A Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), which bundles hospital, medical, and usually drug coverage through a private insurer, is another. Benton County offers a range of Advantage and Part D options — you can compare them side-by-side at medicare.gov/plan-compare. 4. List your doctors and medications. This helps you or a counselor check which plans include your providers and cover your prescriptions. 5. Mark your calendar. Know the first day of your seven-month window and set a reminder.

What's new for 2027 that new enrollees should know

A few program-level updates are worth understanding as you plan:

• Part D out-of-pocket cap: The cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered prescriptions hits that amount in the calendar year, you pay nothing more for covered drugs the rest of the year.
• Part D maximum deductible: $615 in 2026 ($700 in 2027). Individual plans can set a lower deductible, but not higher.
• The old "donut hole" is gone. As of 2025, Part D has three phases instead of four — deductible, initial coverage, and catastrophic — and that structure carries into 2027.
• Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. This optional program lets you spread your yearly drug costs into monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter. It doesn't lower the total, just smooths it out.
• IRMAA surcharges. Higher-income beneficiaries pay extra for Part B and Part D. For 2026, the surcharge for a single filer begins above $109,000 in income (based on your tax return from two years ago).

Where to get unbiased help in Benton County

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to talk to a salesperson to get answers.

• Medicare.gov — the official site for enrollment, plan comparison, and rules.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help line.
• Arkansas SHIIP (Senior Health Insurance Information Program) — the state's free counseling service for people on or approaching Medicare. Counselors don't sell anything. Call 1-800-224-6330 to find help near Bentonville.
• Social Security Administration — ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213 to enroll in Medicare if you're not automatically signed up.