Newsroom
Blog & resources
Plain-English Medicare guidance and real local health data — written for the people we serve, not for search engines.
Part D Late Enrollment Penalty in 2026: A Monticello Guide
The Part D late penalty is small but permanent — 1% of the 2026 national base premium ($38.99) for every full month you went without creditable drug coverage, added to your premium for life. How the 63-day rule works, worked examples, the Extra Help waiver, and how San Juan County seniors avoid it — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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Medicare Savings Programs in 2026: A Moab, UT Guide
Three little-known programs — QMB, SLMB, and QI — can pay your 2026 Part B premium, and QMB erases most Medicare copays and deductibles too. The 2026 income and resource limits ($9,950 single / $14,910 married; your home and one car don't count), the automatic Extra Help bonus, and how Grand County seniors apply — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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Turning 65 in Moab, UT: Your 2026 Medicare Roadmap
Your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, the 2026 numbers straight from CMS — the $202.90 Part B premium, $283 deductible, and $2,100 Part D drug cap — plus how to weigh Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap in a rural county, with real CDC Grand County health data and free local help from Brian Penner.
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Lower Prescription Drug Costs in 2026: Grand Junction Guide
2026 gives every Part D enrollee a $2,100 out-of-pocket cap, $35 insulin, and $0 recommended vaccines — but the biggest savings still come from choices you control. Seven strategies for Mesa County seniors: plan re-shopping, preferred pharmacies, generics, tiering exceptions, Extra Help, and the monthly payment option.
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Extra Help With Part D in 2026: A Monticello, UT Guide
Medicare's Extra Help program pays Part D premiums and deductibles in full and caps 2026 copays at $5.10 generic / $12.65 brand. The 2026 income and resource limits, who's enrolled automatically, and how San Juan County seniors apply — in plain English.
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The 2026 Part D $2,100 Cap: What Moab Seniors Should Know
For the first time, covered prescription costs have a hard yearly ceiling: $2,100 out of pocket in 2026, then $0 cost sharing. What counts toward the cap, the $615 deductible, the monthly payment option, and the Grand County health picture that makes formulary fit the real decision.
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Working Past 65 in Moab: Do You Need Medicare in 2026?
Still working at 65? Whether you can delay Medicare hinges on one question — does your employer have 20 or more employees? In a small-business town like Moab, the answer is often no, and that makes Medicare your primary coverage at 65 whether you enroll or not. The 20-employee rule, the HSA trap, the COBRA myth, and your 8-month window — with 2026 CMS figures and free local help from Brian Penner.
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Medicare Enrollment Periods in 2026: A Monticello Guide
IEP, SEP, GEP, AEP — Medicare's alphabet of deadlines decides when your coverage starts and whether you pay a penalty for life. A plain-English Monticello / San Juan County guide to all five 2026 enrollment windows: the 8-month rule for working past 65, the January–March catch-up window, the 10%-per-year Part B penalty, and real county health data — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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Medicare AEP 2026: A Moab Fall Enrollment Checklist
Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 – December 7 — the one time each year everyone on Medicare can change coverage. A plain-English Moab / Grand County checklist for 2026: what you can change, when it takes effect, the January second-chance window, how to compare on total cost, and real Grand County health data — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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Presbyterian Is Ending Most Medicare Advantage Plans in New Mexico: What to Do for 2027
Presbyterian Health Plan is discontinuing most of its Medicare Advantage plans in New Mexico, affecting about 30,000 members. A plain-English Albuquerque guide: what’s changing, the 2027 timeline, your options, and how to keep your doctors — with free help from a New Mexico–licensed advisor.
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Medicare IRMAA in 2026: A Grand Junction Income Guide
If your income is above $109,000 (single) or $218,000 (joint), Medicare adds an IRMAA surcharge to your Part B and Part D premiums in 2026 — based on your 2024 tax return. A plain-English Grand Junction guide: the full income brackets, why a two-year-old return sets your premium, the standard $202.90 Part B cost, and how to appeal with form SSA-44 — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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The Part B Late Penalty in 2026: A Grand Junction Guide
Miss your Medicare Part B window and the penalty is 10% of the premium for every year you delayed — added for life. A plain-English 2026 Mesa County guide: how the penalty is figured, the $202.90 premium, the separate Part D drug penalty, and the working-past-65 exception that spares many people — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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Medicare + Medicaid in 2026: A Monticello, UT D-SNP Guide
If you have both Medicare and Medicaid in San Juan County, a Dual Eligible Special Needs Plan (D-SNP) may lower your costs in 2026. A plain-English Monticello guide: dual eligibility, the QMB program that can pay your $202.90 Part B premium, automatic Extra Help (no more than $12.65 per covered drug), the monthly switch window, and real CDC county health data — with free local help from Brian Penner.
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Medigap vs. Medicare Advantage in 2026: How to Actually Choose
Two very different ways to get Medicare — one with networks and low premiums, one with freedom and predictable bills. A plain-English 2026 comparison: a side-by-side table, real Mesa County health data, the 2026 cost backdrop, and the one-time guaranteed-issue window that makes the choice time-sensitive.
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Turning 65 in Grand Junction, CO: Your 2026 Medicare Roadmap
Your 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, the four parts of Medicare in plain English, how to compare Medicare Advantage vs. Medigap in Mesa County, and the local CDC health picture that should shape your choice — with free, no-pressure help from Brian Penner.
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