Medicare.gov + Plan Finder — A Plain-English Guide

Why this guide exists

Open enrollment hits every October 15 and runs to December 7, and every year I do the same conversation with a dozen folks: "Bill, my Part D drug plan just went up to $112 a month and I think they're stealing from me." Sometimes they are. Usually it's just the plan changing — and the fix is twenty minutes on medicare.gov, not a phone call to a "Medicare benefits advisor" who's actually a commissioned salesperson on the other end.

This guide walks through the parts of medicare.gov that 95% of folks actually use: setting up the account, running the Plan Finder, comparing Medigap supplements, and looking at your claims. It also tells you about the Ohio-specific savings programs almost nobody knows exist.

Step 1 — The two government sites you'll actually use

It's a little confusing because Social Security enrolls you in Medicare (through ssa.gov — see Bill's other guide), but then Medicare itself lives on medicare.gov. Here's the split:

• ssa.gov / My Social Security — sign up for Part A and Part B, change your address, see your premium.
• medicare.gov — pick a Part D drug plan, pick a Medicare Advantage plan, look up doctors and hospitals that take your plan, see your claims, order a new red-white-and-blue card.

You'll log into medicare.gov with the same Login.gov or ID.me account you use for Social Security. One login. Don't make two.

Step 2 — Use the Plan Finder, not a phone call

The biggest, scariest, most important tool on medicare.gov is the Plan Finder. Here's how to use it for Part D (prescription drug coverage), which is what most people are checking each fall:

1. Go to medicare.gov/plan-compare and sign in.
2. Click Find health & drug plans.
3. Enter your ZIP code. (In Portage County we're mostly 44201, 44266, 44240, 44241, 44260, 44231, 44266, 44240.)
4. Enter your prescriptions, exactly. This is the part that matters most. Type each one in, with the dose and the quantity per month. The plan that's cheapest for somebody else's drug list might be the most expensive for yours.
5. Pick your preferred pharmacy. CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Discount Drug Mart, Acme, Giant Eagle — they all show up. Mail order too.
6. Sort by Lowest drug + premium cost. That's the real annual cost — premium times 12, plus your share of each drug.
7. Compare the top 3. Check the star rating column — anything 3.5 stars or higher is generally fine.

The whole exercise takes 20–30 minutes the first time, less than 10 minutes after that. Do it once a year in late October. You'll often save several hundred dollars by switching, and switching is free — the new plan takes effect January 1.

Step 3 — Comparing Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans

Medigap is different from Part D — it covers the gaps in Original Medicare (the 20% Medicare doesn't pay). It's not on the Plan Finder the same way. From medicare.gov, click Find a Medigap policy. Enter your ZIP, and you'll see every approved Medigap plan in Ohio with the company name and the premium range.

The plan letters (A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, N) are standardized by federal law — Plan G from one company has exactly the same benefits as Plan G from another company. The only difference is the premium and the customer service. Plan G is what most of my customers end up with — it covers everything except the small Part B deductible.

Best time to buy Medigap: during your six-month open enrollment window starting the month you turn 65 (or first enroll in Part B). After that, insurance companies can ask health questions and charge more or refuse you. Don't miss that window.

Step 4 — Ohio's Medicare Savings Programs (the secret tier)

If your monthly income is under about $1,800 for an individual or $2,400 for a couple (2026 numbers, check current limits), Ohio's Medicare Savings Programs will pay your Part B premium of around $203/month for you. That's about $2,400 a year back in your pocket. Almost nobody applies because almost nobody knows it exists.

How to apply: call the Portage County Job & Family Services office at 330-296-6700, or apply online at benefits.ohio.gov. Ask for "MSP" or "Medicare Savings Program." There's also a related "Extra Help" program for Part D — apply on the SSA site or call SSA at 1-800-772-1213.

Pro Seniors of Ohio offers free, neutral counseling on all of this: 1-800-686-6264. They're not selling anything.

Step 5 — Other things the medicare.gov account does

• Order a new Medicare card if you lost it or it's bent. Free, arrives in about 30 days.
• See your claims. Click Claims & MSNs. Every visit, every test, every bill — what Medicare paid and what your supplement should pay. Useful for catching billing fraud.
• See if your doctor accepts Medicare assignment (which means they take Medicare's allowed amount as full payment). Click Find care.
• Find a Medicare-certified hospital, home-health agency, hospice, or skilled nursing facility with quality ratings. Useful when a parent is about to be discharged and you need somewhere good fast.

Stay away from "Medicare Benefits Advisors" who call you

If somebody calls you out of the blue offering to "review your Medicare benefits," they are not from Medicare. They are a commissioned insurance agent who will steer you toward whichever Medicare Advantage plan pays them the most. Some are honest. Many are not. Medicare itself does not call you.

The free, neutral, no-commission help in Ohio is called OSHIIP — the Ohio Senior Health Insurance Information Program. Call 1-800-686-1578. They'll sit down with you (in person or by phone), look at your situation, and tell you what's actually best — without selling you anything.

What I help people with on a Medicare visit

• Set up medicare.gov with Login.gov.
• Run the Plan Finder with your real drug list, your real pharmacy, and your real budget.
• Compare the top 3 Part D plans side by side and print them out.
• Help apply for Medicare Savings Programs if you qualify.
• Save the OSHIIP number, the SSA number, and the Pro Seniors number to your phone.
• Show you how to spot a Medicare scam call.