Medicare 2026

Columbus, Indiana Medicare IEP: three months before to three after

Turning 65 in Columbus is a milestone — and it comes with one of the most important paperwork windows of your life. Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) opens three months before the month you turn 65, includes your birthday month, and runs three months after. That's a seven-month stretch to make your first Medicare decisions without a late penalty.

The good news: you don't have to figure it out alone, and you don't have to figure it out all at once. Here's a plain walk-through of what to do first, in what order, and where to get free local help.

Start with your seven-month window

Your IEP is built around your 65th birthday month. If you turn 65 in June, your window runs March 1 through September 30.

Here's the part people miss: when you enroll inside that window changes when your coverage starts. If you sign up during the three months before your birthday month, coverage begins the first day of your birthday month. If you wait until your birthday month or later, coverage can be delayed by up to a month after you sign up. Enrolling early is usually the smoother path.

Decide if you need to actively sign up

Some people are enrolled in Medicare automatically. Others have to take action.

• Already getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits? You'll typically be enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically, and your red, white, and blue Medicare card will arrive in the mail about three months before you turn 65.
• Not yet drawing Social Security? You need to sign up yourself at SSA.gov, by phone, or at the Social Security office. Nothing happens automatically.
• Still working with employer coverage? You may be able to delay Part B without a penalty, but the rules depend on the size of your employer. Check before your birthday, not after.

Understand the parts before you pick anything

Medicare has four parts, and it helps to know what each one does before you shop.

• Part A covers hospital stays, skilled nursing, hospice, and some home health. Most people pay no premium.
• Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, and durable medical equipment. It has a monthly premium set by Medicare.
• Part C (Medicare Advantage) is an all-in-one alternative offered by private insurers that bundles A, B, and usually drug coverage.
• Part D is prescription drug coverage, offered by private insurers.

Once you have Part A and Part B (Original Medicare), you'll decide whether to add a standalone Part D plan and possibly a Medigap supplement — or to go the Medicare Advantage route instead.

What's new for Part D in 2027

If prescription costs have worried you in the past, the Part D rules that took effect in 2026 carry forward with higher limits in 2027:

• Out-of-pocket cap: Your total spending on covered drugs is capped at $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027.
• Deductible ceiling: No Part D plan can charge a deductible higher than $615 in 2026 or $700 in 2027.
• No more donut hole: The old coverage-gap phase is gone. Part D now moves through three phases instead of four.
• Payment smoothing: The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your drug costs across the year in monthly installments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.

Higher earners should also know about IRMAA — an income-related surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums that starts above $109,000 in income for a single filer in 2026.

What Columbus residents can expect locally

Columbus is in Bartholomew County, and plan availability is set at the county level. That means every Medicare Advantage and Part D plan you can consider is one that's approved to sell in Bartholomew County. When you use the Plan Finder at Medicare.gov, enter your ZIP code and it will show you the specific menu available where you live.

We're not naming or ranking plans here — that's your call, based on your doctors, your prescriptions, and your budget. But knowing your options are county-based helps you tune out national ads that may not apply to you.

Key dates to keep in mind

• Your IEP: the seven months around your 65th birthday.
• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 each year, when anyone with Medicare can change Advantage or Part D coverage for the following year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31, when people already in an Advantage plan can switch once.

Where to get free, unbiased help

Before you enroll in anything, talk to someone who isn't selling a plan:

• Medicare.gov — official plan comparisons and enrollment.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help line.
• SHIP (State Health Insurance Assistance Program) — Indiana's SHIP offers free, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Counselors don't sell insurance and aren't paid commissions.
• Social Security Administration (SSA.gov) — for Part A and Part B enrollment.