Plain-English guides to medical bills
Short, practical guides for people with Medicare and the families who help them.
Medigap (Supplement) Plans: What They Pay and What They Don't
What Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans pay for, what each lettered plan covers in 2026, and the common costs Medigap leaves out.
Why Does My Medigap Plan Still Leave Me a Bill?
Common reasons you still owe after Medicare and Medigap pay, from the Part B deductible to Plan N copays and excess charges, and how to check each.
Medicare Savings Programs: Help Paying Your Part B Premiums
How Medicare Savings Programs help pay Part B premiums and other costs, the 2026 income and resource limits for QMB, SLMB, and QI, and how to apply.
Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy) for Prescription Drug Costs
What Medicare's Extra Help program pays for, the 2026 income and resource limits, what you'll pay per prescription, and how to apply.
The Part D Out-of-Pocket Cap and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, Explained
How the Medicare Part D out-of-pocket cap works ($2,100 in 2026), and how the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan spreads drug costs over the year.
Surprise Bills and the No Surprises Act: What Medicare Patients Should Know
The No Surprises Act protects people with private insurance or no insurance. Here's how Medicare's own rules protect you from surprise bills.
Medicare Advantage Networks: Bills From Out-of-Network Providers
Why you might get an out-of-network bill in a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO, when the plan must still pay, and what to do if your doctor leaves.
Medicare Late Enrollment Penalties (Part B and Part D): How They Work and How to Challenge One
How Medicare Part B and Part D late enrollment penalties are figured in 2026, who can avoid them, and how to ask for a reconsideration of a Part D penalty.
Dual Eligibility: When You Have Both Medicare and Medicaid, Who Pays What
If you have Medicare and Medicaid, Medicare pays first. Learn what Medicaid covers after that, how drug coverage works, and what to do if you get a bill.
Dental, Vision, and Hearing Bills: What Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage Cover
What Original Medicare covers for dental, vision, and hearing care, what it does not, and what to check if you get extra benefits from Medicare Advantage.
Medicare and Employer Coverage: Who Pays First?
When you have Medicare and job-based coverage, who pays first depends on employer size and whether you're still working. Here's how it affects your bills.
VA Benefits and Medicare: Using Both Without Double Bills
How VA health benefits and Medicare work together, why Medicare doesn't pay for care at VA facilities, and what to check when a bill arrives.
TRICARE For Life and Medicare: How Claims and Bills Work
How TRICARE For Life works with Medicare: who pays first, why you need Part A and Part B, how claims are filed, and what to check when you get a bill.