Medicare FAQ for Nebraskans

Your Initial Enrollment Period lasts 7 months: the 3 months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the 3 months after. If you sign up in the 3 months before, coverage starts the first day of your birthday month. If you sign up during your birthday month or later, coverage starts the first day of the month after you sign up.

It depends on your employer's size. If you have group coverage from your own or your spouse's current job and the employer has 20 or more employees, that plan pays first and you can usually delay Part B without a penalty. If the employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare pays first, so you generally need Part B. Ask your benefits office in writing which rule applies.

No. COBRA, retiree coverage and VA coverage do not count as coverage from current employment. Your 8-month Special Enrollment Period for Part B starts the month after your job or job-based coverage ends, whichever comes first, even if you take COBRA. Once you are eligible for Medicare, Medicare pays first and COBRA may pay only a small part of your costs.

In 2026, the standard Part B premium is $202.90 a month and the Part B deductible is $283. After that, you usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. About 99% of people pay no Part A premium, but the Part A hospital deductible is $1,736 per benefit period. Higher earners pay more for Part B and Part D through IRMAA.

IRMAA is an extra charge on Part B and Part D premiums for people with higher incomes. For 2026, it applies if your 2024 modified adjusted gross income was more than $109,000 filing single or $218,000 filing jointly. The first level raises your Part B premium to $284.10 a month. If your income dropped after retirement or another life-changing event, you can ask Social Security to use newer income.

If you don't sign up for Part B when first eligible and don't have qualifying job-based coverage, your premium goes up 10% for each full 12-month period you went without it. You pay the higher amount for as long as you have Part B. Waiting two full years means a 20% penalty, which adds about $40.58 a month at the 2026 premium of $202.90.

Original Medicare is Part A and Part B from the federal government. You can see any provider in the country that accepts Medicare, and many people add a Medicare Supplement plan and a Part D drug plan. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private companies that contract with Medicare. They usually include drug coverage and use provider networks, with a yearly limit on what you pay for covered services.

Original Medicare generally does not cover routine dental care, eyeglasses, hearing aids, long-term custodial care such as help with bathing and dressing, or most care outside the United States. Some Medicare Advantage plans include dental, vision and hearing benefits, and separate dental or vision policies are available. A Medicare Supplement plan can cover part of emergency care during foreign travel, up to plan limits.

Only short-term skilled care. After a qualifying inpatient hospital stay of at least 3 days, Part A can cover skilled nursing facility care, with no daily charge for days 1 to 20 and $217 a day for days 21 to 100 in 2026. Medicare does not pay for long-term custodial care, which is the most common kind of nursing home care. Medicaid or long-term care insurance may help with that.

The Annual Enrollment Period runs October 15 to December 7 each year, with changes starting January 1. For 2027 plans, that is October 15 to December 7, 2026. If you are in Medicare Advantage, you can also make one change from January 1 to March 31. Special Enrollment Periods let you change at other times after events like moving or losing other coverage.

No. Once you are enrolled in any part of Medicare, you can no longer contribute to a health savings account, though you can still spend what is in it. Premium-free Part A can start up to 6 months before the date you sign up, but no earlier than the first month you were eligible. If you sign up 6 months or more after turning 65, stop HSA contributions 6 months before the month you apply to avoid excess contributions.

Part of it is known. For 2027, the maximum Part D deductible is $700 and the Part D out-of-pocket cap is $2,400. The 2027 Part B premium and deductible have not been announced. The June 2026 Medicare Trustees Report projects a $209.50 monthly premium and a $292 deductible, but those are estimates. CMS usually announces the official 2027 amounts in November.

Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (TTY 1-877-486-2048), or use Medicare.gov. Nebraska SHIP, the state's counseling program formerly called SHIIP, offers unbiased one-on-one help at no cost at 1-800-234-7119, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central. A licensed independent agent can also compare plans with you, paid by insurance companies rather than by you.