Medicare 2026

Turning 65 in Shawnee? Your 7-Month Medicare Window Starts Now

SHAWNEE, Kan. — If a 65th birthday is on your calendar this year, the clock on your first big Medicare decision is already ticking. The Initial Enrollment Period — the seven-month window built around your birthday month — is when most people sign up for Medicare for the first time. Missing it can mean gaps in coverage and, in some cases, lifelong late penalties.

Here's a plain-English walk-through for Shawnee residents on what to do, when to do it, and where to get help you can trust.

What the Initial Enrollment Period actually is

Your IEP is a seven-month window tied to your 65th birthday. It includes the three months before your birth month, the month itself, and the three months after. During this window you can enroll in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), a Medicare Advantage plan (Part C), or a stand-alone Part D drug plan.

The timing inside the window matters. If you enroll in the three months before your birthday month, your coverage starts on the first day of your birthday month (or the month before, if your birthday is on the first). Sign up during or after your birthday month, and your start date is pushed back.

Step 1: Decide about Part A and Part B

Most people get Part A (hospital insurance) premium-free because of their work history. Part B (doctor visits, outpatient care) has a monthly premium set each year by Medicare.

• If you're already receiving Social Security, you'll usually be enrolled in Part A and Part B automatically.
• If you're not yet on Social Security, you need to sign up yourself through the Social Security Administration at ssa.gov or by calling 1-800-772-1213.
• If you're still working and have solid coverage through a current employer, you may be able to delay Part B without penalty. Confirm this in writing with your HR department before you skip enrollment.

Step 2: Choose your coverage path

Once you have Part A and Part B, you generally pick one of two paths:

1. Original Medicare, often paired with a stand-alone Part D drug plan and, if you want, a Medigap (supplement) policy. 2. Medicare Advantage (Part C), a private plan that bundles Parts A, B, and usually D into one package.

Shawnee sits in Johnson County, where Medicare's plan finder lists a broad range of Advantage and Part D options from multiple carriers. You can compare them yourself at medicare.gov/plan-compare using your ZIP code and your list of medications.

Step 3: Understand 2027 drug coverage rules

Part D looks different than it did just a couple of years ago. For 2027:

• Out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs is capped at $2,400 for the year.
• The Part D deductible can be no more than $700.
• The old "donut hole" coverage gap is gone — Part D now runs in three phases.
• You can opt into the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, which spreads your drug costs into level monthly payments instead of big pharmacy bills.

Higher-income beneficiaries may pay an IRMAA surcharge on top of standard Part B and Part D premiums. For 2026, IRMAA generally begins above $109,000 in income for a single filer, based on your tax return from two years earlier.

Step 4: Don't miss the deadline

If you miss your IEP and don't qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (for example, losing job-based coverage), you may have to wait for the General Enrollment Period and pay a Part B late penalty for as long as you have Medicare. A similar penalty applies to Part D if you go without creditable drug coverage.

Two other dates worth writing down, even though they don't apply to your first sign-up:

• Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 each year.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31 each year.

Where Shawnee residents can get real help

You don't have to figure this out alone, and you don't have to rely on a sales pitch to get answers.

• Medicare.gov — official plan comparisons, enrollment, and rules.
• 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) — 24/7 help from Medicare directly.
• Kansas SHICK (Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas) — free, unbiased, one-on-one counseling from trained volunteers. This is the Kansas version of the national SHIP program.
• Social Security Administration — for enrolling in Part A and Part B: ssa.gov or 1-800-772-1213.