About Medicare Handy

Medicare Handy is a small reference site about how the Medicare program is structured: what the parts and plan types are, how enrollment windows work, how costs are organized, and where to find free, unbiased counseling.

It exists because most people meet Medicare exactly once — around their 65th birthday or after a disability determination — and are expected to absorb a system of interlocking parts, windows, and penalties on a deadline. The official materials are accurate but dense; this site is the plain-English layer on top of them.

Who it's for: people approaching Medicare eligibility, family members helping a parent sort through mail, and anyone who wants to understand a notice or a plan document before talking to a professional.

What it is not: these pages are reviewed reference material, not professional advice. We are not affiliated with the federal Medicare program, we do not sell or recommend insurance plans, and nothing here should be the basis for a coverage decision on its own. Program rules and dollar figures change every year — always confirm current details at Medicare.gov or with a SHIP counselor, who provides free one-on-one help in every state.