ArcaMax

Toni,

I’m enrolled in Medicare but have not received my Medicare & You Handbook. I need to make some changes, and I’m concerned about what I should do during the fall Medicare season. I need to know which options are right for me. I have some health problems, and I’m concerned that I might make the wrong change to my Medicare and Part D plan.

I know that I will be bombarded by marketing material, and I would really appreciate any advice that you can give me in advance. Thanks, Toni.

—Sylvester from Richmond, Texas

Hello Sylvester:

The 2026 Medicare & You handbook will be mailed to over 65 million Medicare beneficiaries in September to arrive before October. It’s amazing how efficient Medicare is to have these handbooks arrive every year in time for Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period (OEP)/Annual Enrollment Period (AEP).

Sylvester, you have time to do the correct research, because Medicare’s OEP/AEP period begins enrolling America on Wednesday, Oct.15, and ends enrollment at midnight on Sunday, Dec. 7. (Medicare’s OEP/AEP enrollment period is discussed at length in Chapter 6 of my book, Medicare Survival Guide Advanced edition.)

Readers, please take your time researching your options, especially if, like Sylvester, you have health issues.

Below are the steps a Toni Says Medicare team uses when helping clients during Medicare’s OEP/AEP:

Step #1: Decide whether you want Original Medicare (Parts A & B) or a Medicare Advantage (Part C) plan.

Step #2: Decide whether you need to enroll in or change your current Medicare Part D (prescription drug coverage) plan during Medicare’s OEP/AEP enrollment time.

Step #3: Remember, you have from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 to change or enroll in a new Part D plan for your Medicare Advantage plan or stand-alone Medicare Part D plan, which both begin Jan. 1.

Remember … with Medicare, what you don’t know WILL hurt you!

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Toni King is an author and columnist on Medicare, Social Security and long-term care issues. She has spent nearly 30 years as a top sales leader in the field. If you have a Medicare question, email info@tonisays.com or call 832-519-8664. Sign up for the Toni Says newsletter at www.tonisays.com to keep up to date on Medicare changes.

©2025 Toni King. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Copyright 2025 Toni King, Distributed by Counterpoint Media