Healthcare & Medicare / Free resources
Understand the whole cost. Find practical help. Speak up for affordable care.
Premium alone doesn’t tell the whole story. This independent resource brings verified national changes, plan-comparison guidance and free advocacy tools together.
01 / Understand the whole bill
Sources checked October 14, 2026. National rules are separate from your individual plan’s benefits.
| Cost or benefit | 2026 | 2027 | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|
| Part D maximum deductible | $615 | $700 | +$85. A plan may have a lower deductible or none. Official source ↗ |
| Part D covered-drug out-of-pocket threshold | $2,100 | $2,400 | +$300. After this threshold, you pay $0 for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year. Premiums and non-covered drugs do not count. Official source ↗ |
| Medicare Advantage highest allowed in-network medical out-of-pocket limit | $9,250 | $9,850 | +$600. A regulatory ceiling, not every plan’s limit. Covers qualifying Part A/B cost sharing, not premiums or Part D drugs. Official source ↗ (CMS ZIP) |
| Medicare Advantage PPO highest allowed combined in/out-of-network medical limit | $13,900 | $14,800 | +$900. Actual plans may set lower limits. Check both limits in your plan documents. Official source ↗ (CMS ZIP) |
| Standard Part B monthly premium | $202.90 | Not yet finalized | 2027 final amount not verified as of October 14, 2026. Higher-income adjustments may apply. Official source ↗ |
| Part B annual deductible | $283 | Not yet finalized | Do not mistake a projection for a final 2027 amount. Official source ↗ |
| Part A inpatient hospital deductible | $1,736 per benefit period | Not yet finalized | This is per benefit period, not an annual deductible. Official source ↗ |
| Copays, coinsurance, drug tiers, networks and extra benefits | Your 2026 plan | Your 2027 plan | Plan-specific. Compare the Annual Notice of Change, Evidence of Coverage, formulary and provider network. No universal increase or loss applies to every plan. Official source ↗ |
Medical limit comparison: CMS 2026 limits (ZIP) and CMS 2027 limits (ZIP). These are the highest allowed Medicare Advantage limits; your plan can be lower.
CMS projects the average Medicare Advantage premium falling from $14.37 to $12 in 2027, while the average standalone Part D premium rises from $35.09 to $36. Supplemental benefit offerings are broadly stable overall. Those averages do not tell you your total cost or prove that your plan kept every benefit.
Read CMS’s 2027 outlook ↗02 / Practical Medicare help
Go directly to official resources. Eligibility depends on your circumstances and, for savings programs, your state’s rules.
Compare coverage and costs, check your options and get official answers. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).
Find plans and costs ↗Help paying Medicare Part D drug costs for people who qualify. Check eligibility and application options with Medicare and Social Security.
Learn about Extra Help ↗State programs may help with Medicare premiums and, depending on the program, deductibles, coinsurance and copays.
Check savings programs ↗State Health Insurance Assistance Programs offer free, personalized Medicare counseling. Get help understanding your own situation.
Find your SHIP ↗A curated starting point
These resources serve different needs. This is a curated guide, not an objective ranking or a list of recommended insurance plans.
Official, nationwide plan comparisons with local results. Enter your prescriptions and preferred pharmacies to estimate costs, then review Medicare Advantage and Part D coverage details. Confirm doctors and medications before enrolling.
Compare local plans ↗SHIP provides free, unbiased, one-on-one Medicare counseling. Find your state’s program for help reviewing health and drug plans, enrollment timing, cost assistance, coverage questions and appeals.
Find free local counseling ↗Medicare Rights Center’s step-by-step educational guide explains Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, Part D and Medigap, plus enrollment timing, job-based insurance and help with costs. An education resource, not a plan quote engine.
Understand your coverage options ↗Practical Medicare guides on enrollment, prescriptions, out-of-pocket costs, reviewing coverage and avoiding scams. Useful context for beneficiaries, families and caregivers, with links to local counseling.
Read Medicare guides ↗For Texas residents
Texas’s SHIP counseling program offers free, unbiased benefits counseling about coverage choices, enrollment and assistance with premiums, copays or prescriptions. Call the Texas Medicare Help Line at 800-252-9240.
Get Medicare help in Texas ↗These are educational and counseling resources, not plan endorsements. Costs, networks and drug coverage vary by location and plan. Confirm current details with Medicare, the plan and your providers before enrolling. Texas HICAP belongs to the SHIP network listed above.
03 / One clear demand
Ask Congress for affordable, enforceable annual limits on patients’ out-of-pocket healthcare costs, including a medical out-of-pocket limit in Original Medicare.
Pair those protections with clear total-cost disclosures. This is a policy demand, not a description of current law or a guarantee that a particular bill will pass.
Dear Representative or Senator, I am writing as a constituent to ask Congress to establish affordable, enforceable annual limits on patients’ out-of-pocket healthcare costs, including a medical out-of-pocket limit in Original Medicare. Premiums alone do not show what care costs. Deductibles, copays, coinsurance and prescription costs can make necessary care unaffordable. People should not have to choose between treatment and basic living expenses. Please support strong annual out-of-pocket protections and require clear, comparable total-cost disclosures so people can understand what they may actually pay. Protections should preserve access to needed care and not simply shift costs into higher premiums or narrower access. Please tell me what specific action you will take to make healthcare affordable. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your city, state and ZIP code]
You choose whether to send it through your representatives’ official contact forms. Nothing is submitted by this page. Avoid including Medicare numbers or private medical records.
04 / Free tools. No purchase necessary.
Free for personal, noncommercial advocacy. No email gate. Letter-size signs are designed for home printing; PNG graphics are ready to share.
