Medicare Part D
The Monthly Cost of Missing Medicare Deadlines in Sacramento
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Medicare has a few deadlines that don't just cost you a month or two of coverage if you miss them. They can cost you extra every single month, for as long as you have the coverage. The good news: once you understand how the timing works, these penalties are almost entirely avoidable.
Compare Medicare options near you
Answer 3 quick questions to see Medicare Advantage, Medigap, and Part D listings from licensed insurance partners.
What’s your ZIP code?
Plan availability is set by your county, so we start here.
How old are you?
This helps match you with options you’re eligible for.
Do you have Medicare Parts A & B?
Most Medicare Advantage and Medigap options require both.
These listings are provided by licensed insurance partners.
Will your prescriptions still be covered in 2027?
Part D plans rewrite their drug lists every year — tiers move, pharmacies change, drugs drop off. One call checks your exact medications against the 2027 plans in your area.
- Every prescription checked, name by name
- Your pharmacy checked for preferred pricing
Available now — current wait: 0 min
A real person answers. No phone menu, ever.
Want to see more plan options?
Answer a few more questions to continue to additional options from licensed partners.
Continue →Advertising disclosure: MyMedicarePlans.org may be compensated when you contact a partner or licensed agent. Listings are not ranked or endorsed by us, and we do not recommend specific plans. You can also contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.
Speak to a Licensed Insurance Agent
Click to call 855-729-3240Key takeaways
- Missing your Initial Enrollment Period for Part B can add a permanent 10% surcharge to your premium for every full 12 months you delayed, unless you had other qualifying coverage.
- If you don't sign up for Part B on time, you generally have to wait for the General Enrollment Period, which runs January 1 to March 31, with coverage starting the next month.
- Going 63 days or more without creditable prescription drug coverage can lead to a lifelong Part D penalty equal to 1% of the national base premium for each month you went without coverage.
- Higher earners may also face an income-related surcharge called IRMAA, which starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026 and is separate from any late-enrollment penalty.
Here's what Sacramento-area readers need to know about Part B and Part D late enrollment, and how to steer clear of a lifelong surcharge.
Why Medicare has late-enrollment penalties
Medicare works because healthy people and sick people are all in the pool together. If you could wait until you got sick to sign up, premiums would climb for everyone. So Congress built in penalties to encourage people to enroll when they first become eligible — usually around age 65 — unless they already have other qualifying coverage.
Two parts of Medicare come with penalties that can follow you for life: Part B (doctor visits and outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drugs).
The Part B late-enrollment penalty
Most people become eligible for Part B during their Initial Enrollment Period — a 7-month window that starts three months before the month you turn 65 and ends three months after.
If you don't sign up during that window, and you don't have other qualifying coverage (like an employer plan based on active work), Medicare adds 10% to your Part B premium for every full 12 months you were eligible but didn't enroll. That surcharge is permanent — you pay it every month for as long as you have Part B.
You also can't sign up whenever you want. Outside your Initial Enrollment Period, you generally have to wait for the General Enrollment Period (January 1 – March 31), with coverage starting the month after you enroll.
How to avoid it: Sign up during your Initial Enrollment Period, or — if you're still working past 65 with employer coverage — use your Special Enrollment Period within 8 months of leaving that job or losing that coverage.
The Part D late-enrollment penalty
Part D works a little differently, but the trap is similar. If you go 63 days or more without "creditable" prescription drug coverage after you first become eligible, you can owe a Part D penalty when you eventually enroll.
The penalty is calculated as 1% of the national base beneficiary premium, multiplied by the number of full months you went without coverage — added to your Part D premium every month, for life.
"Creditable coverage" means drug coverage that's at least as good as standard Medicare Part D. Employer plans, VA benefits, and TRICARE often qualify. Your plan should send you a notice each year telling you whether it's creditable — save those letters.
How to avoid it: Enroll in a Part D plan when you first become eligible, or make sure you have creditable drug coverage from another source and keep proof of it.
What Part D looks like in 2027
If you haven't looked at Part D in a while, the program has changed a lot:
- The out-of-pocket cap is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once your drug spending hits that amount, you pay nothing for covered drugs the rest of the year.
- The maximum Part D deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027.
- The old coverage gap (the "donut hole") is gone as of 2025. Part D now has three phases instead of four.
- The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across the year in monthly payments instead of paying big amounts at the pharmacy counter.
Higher earners should also know about IRMAA — an income-related surcharge that starts above $109,000 for a single filer in 2026 (based on your tax return from two years earlier). It's not a penalty for late enrollment; it's an added premium tied to income.
Enrollment windows to circle on your calendar
- Initial Enrollment Period: the 7 months around your 65th birthday.
- General Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31 (for people who missed their initial window).
- Annual Enrollment Period: October 15 – December 7 — when anyone with Medicare can change Part D or Medicare Advantage plans for the coming year.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 – March 31 — if you're already in a Medicare Advantage plan, you get one chance to switch or return to Original Medicare.
What's available around Sacramento
Sacramento is in Sacramento County, where Medicare beneficiaries generally have a range of stand-alone Part D plans and Medicare Advantage plans to choose from during the Annual Enrollment Period. For 2027, the county has 23 Medicare Advantage plans from 10 carriers. Plan availability, carriers, and specific benefits are set at the county level and change every year, so the honest answer to "what's available to me?" is to check the Plan Finder at medicare.gov using your ZIP code during open enrollment.
By the numbers
Medicare Part B premium, 2006–2026
The standard monthly Part B premium has climbed from $88.50 in 2006 to $202.90 in 2026. Hover any point for that year’s premium.
Source: CMS. Standard premium shown; in some hold-harmless years many existing enrollees paid less. Confirm at Medicare.gov.
By the numbers
How people get Medicare in Sacramento County
(MA penetration in Sacramento County)
MA penetration from CMS enrollment data; Medigap share is an estimate. U.S. average is about 54% Medicare Advantage. These are area-level figures, not plan-specific.
Try it
How the 2026 Part D drug cap works
Slide to your estimated yearly prescription costs and see how the new $2,100 out-of-pocket cap protects you. This illustrates the standard Part D benefit; your plan may structure costs differently.
Once your out-of-pocket spending on covered drugs reaches $2,100, you pay nothing more for the rest of 2026. Confirm details at Medicare.gov.
Explore
When can you enroll? An interactive year
Enrollment windows are federal and the same nationwide. Confirm your personal dates at Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Q: I'm still working at 66 and have good insurance through my job. Do I have to sign up for Part B?
Q: I don't take any prescriptions. Do I really need a Part D plan?
Q: Can the Part B or Part D penalty ever be removed?
- CMS — Medicare Part D program rules (medicare.gov)
For personalized answers, contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local SHIP.