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Your Colorado Medicare Roadmap
A simple, plain-English checklist to help you make a confident Medicare decision — the deadlines that matter, the parts explained, the questions to ask, and the mistakes to avoid. It’s all right here, free to read.No email required.
Insurance AdvisorsYour Colorado Medicare Roadmap · medicareroad.com
- 1
Get your timing right
Medicare runs on deadlines, and missing one can cost you for life. Mark the windows that apply to you:
- Your Initial Enrollment Period — the 7-month window around your 65th birthday (3 months before, your birthday month, 3 months after).
- Still working at 65 with employer coverage? Know your Special Enrollment Period so you can delay penalty-free — and the 8-month clock that starts when that coverage ends.
- Annual Enrollment (Oct 15 – Dec 7) — when anyone can change Medicare Advantage or Part D for the coming year.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment (Jan 1 – Mar 31) — a one-time switch if your Advantage plan isn’t working out.
- Your one-time, 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment — starts when you’re 65 and enrolled in Part B. During it you can buy any Medigap plan with no health questions. Miss it and you can be turned down later.
- 2
Learn the building blocks
You don’t need to be an expert — just fluent enough to choose with confidence:
- Part A — hospital/inpatient care (most people pay no premium).
- Part B — doctors, outpatient care, and preventive services.
- Part C (Medicare Advantage) — an all-in-one alternative to Original Medicare offered by private insurers.
- Part D — prescription drug coverage.
- Medigap (Supplement) — pairs with Original Medicare to help cover what it doesn’t.
- The gap that surprises people: Original Medicare alone leaves you paying roughly 20% of costs, with no annual out-of-pocket cap.
- 3
Take stock of your situation
The “best” plan is the one that fits your life. Before you compare anything, write down:
- Your doctors and preferred hospital — the ones you don’t want to give up.
- Every prescription you take, with the exact dose — this drives which drug coverage actually saves you money.
- How you travel — snowbird, frequent flyer, or close to home?
- Your budget style — do you prefer a predictable monthly premium, or paying as you go?
- Any other coverage in the picture — employer, retiree, VA, TRICARE, or Medicaid.
- 4
Ask these questions before you choose
Take this list into any comparison — with us or anyone else:
- Are my doctors and hospital in this plan’s network?
- Are all my prescriptions covered — and on which cost tier?
- What’s the most I could pay out of pocket in a bad year?
- Do I need referrals to see specialists?
- Am I covered when I travel outside Colorado?
- 5
Avoid the 5 costly mistakes
These are the ones we see again and again:
- Missing your enrollment window — it can mean a lifelong Part B late penalty.
- Assuming “free” means “best” — a $0 premium can still cost more once you add up your care.
- Choosing off a TV ad instead of your own doctors and prescriptions.
- Skipping Part D when you’re not on medication now — there’s a late penalty if you add it later.
- Never reviewing your plan again — plans and your needs change every year.
- 6
Know your rights & free, unbiased help
You always have neutral resources — no purchase, no pressure:
- Medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-877-486-2048) — the official source for every plan in your area.
- Colorado SHIP — free, unbiased Medicare counseling from the state, at 1-888-696-7213.
- Your right to an independent advisor who works for you — not for one insurance company.
Your next step
Want a second set of eyes — with no pressure?
Martin is a licensed, independent Colorado advisor (since 2015). In a free, 20-minute call he’ll walk this checklist with you and map the options you actually qualify for. You decide — there’s never any cost or obligation.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to the plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.
This checklist is educational and is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. This site is operated by Insurance Advisors Inc., a licensed insurance brokerage.
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