Signing up for Medicare is easy. Picking the wrong plan is expensive.
Before you enroll, get one free check from a licensed Florida agent: your doctors, your prescriptions, and your real monthly cost picture against the plans in your county. Six quick taps to start.
Licensed independent insurance agency. Not affiliated with the government or the federal Medicare program.
First, what month is your birthday?
Your enrollment window is built around it.
And what year were you born?
Already 65? We'll build your picture too.
Will you (or your spouse) still be working with employer health coverage at 65?
✓ Got it. Your window is on its way by text. Three quick taps so Michael can prep your call.
Do you have doctors you want to keep seeing?
Do you take regular prescriptions?
What matters most to you?
Your timeline is built. It starts sooner than most people expect.
Make sure your doctors and prescriptions are covered before you enroll.
That is what the call is for: Michael checks them by name against the plans in your county. Your timeline snapshot is texted to you right away either way.
Built and waiting for you:
✓ Your doctors checked by name
✓ Your prescriptions checked against your county's plans
Because you'll have employer coverage, you may be able to delay Part B without penalty, and you get a Special Enrollment Period when that coverage ends. This is worth a 10-minute conversation to get right.
A text with this snapshot is on its way. Michael, a licensed Florida agent, will call you from
(305) 859-1704
Save that number so you know it's him. Have your doctor and medication list handy for the call - that's the coverage check.
"Everything was handled with professionalism. It allowed me to focus on my recovery instead of worrying about my medication."★★★★★ Eddie R.
Not quite time yet
Medicare eligibility starts at 65, so we're not the right fit yet.
"Helped me get my inhalers for a fraction of the cost. It really let me relax and not worry about anything. Fantastic service."★★★★★ John S.
Real customer reviews from Michael's seven years running a prescription-savings team, before founding Brightwater.
Licensed Florida Agent Lic. G345487
No Obligation, No Pressure
Everything by Phone, From Home
No pressure, ever. A short, unhurried conversation to make sure the dates and options are right for you. If the honest answer is to wait, that's the answer you'll get.
Every plan is different. Networks and covered medications vary by plan and by area. We check your specific doctors and prescriptions by name rather than relying on general plan descriptions.
A person, not a call center. You talk to Michael, a licensed independent Florida agent, from home, on your schedule.
Turning 65 and Medicare, explained honestly
Medicare enrollment has more moving parts than it should. When you can sign up, whether you have to, and what it costs all depend on your birthday, your work situation, and choices you make in a seven month window. Here are the straight answers to the questions people actually search for.
When do I enroll in Medicare?
Your Initial Enrollment Period is seven months long: the three months before your 65th birthday month, your birthday month, and the three months after. Sign up in the three months before your birthday month and coverage starts the month you turn 65. Wait until later in the window and your start date slips. Miss the window without other creditable coverage and Part B carries a late penalty that is added to your premium for life, which is why the timing question matters more than most people expect.
How do I sign up for Medicare?
If you already receive Social Security benefits, Parts A and B usually start automatically. If not, you enroll through Social Security online, by phone, or at a local office. That covers Original Medicare. The decisions after that, whether to add a drug plan, a Medicare Supplement, or use a Medicare Advantage plan instead, are where a licensed agent earns their keep, and that part costs you nothing extra to get help with.
Do I have to take Medicare at 65 if I am still working?
Not necessarily. If you or your spouse are actively working and you have employer coverage from a group of 20 or more employees, you can usually delay Part B without penalty and enroll later through a Special Enrollment Period when the job or the coverage ends. Smaller employer plans work differently, and COBRA and retiree coverage do not count as active employer coverage. This is the single most common place people get burned, so it is worth a real conversation before you decide.
What does Medicare cost at 65?
Part A is premium free for most people who worked and paid Medicare taxes for at least ten years. Part B has a standard monthly premium set each year, and higher incomes pay more. On top of that, your real monthly cost depends on the path you choose: Original Medicare with a Supplement and a drug plan generally costs more per month with fewer surprise bills, while Medicare Advantage plans often have low or no additional monthly premium but use networks and copays. There is no one right answer, only the right fit for your health, your doctors, and your budget.
Medicare vs Medicare Advantage, in plain words
Original Medicare is Parts A and B run by the federal government: see almost any doctor who takes Medicare, add a Part D drug plan, and optionally a Medicare Supplement to cover the gaps. Medicare Advantage is a private plan that bundles it all together, often with dental, vision, and hearing extras, in exchange for a network and plan rules. Neither is automatically better. The honest answer depends on your doctors, your prescriptions, and how you like to use care, which is exactly what the quiz above starts to sort out.
The three expensive mistakes people make at 65
Mistake one: enrolling late without cover. The Part B late penalty adds 10 percent to your premium for every full 12 months you were eligible but not enrolled, and it never goes away. The Part D drug penalty works the same way at about 1 percent per month. These are the only parts of Medicare where a paperwork delay follows you for life.
Mistake two: picking a plan on the monthly premium alone. A plan that costs little each month but does not include your cardiologist, or covers your medication at a high tier, can cost far more over a year than a plan with a higher premium that actually fits you. The premium is one number; your doctors and prescriptions are the rest of the math.
Mistake three: guessing about work coverage. Employer coverage from an active job with 20 or more employees usually lets you delay Part B safely. COBRA, retiree plans, and small-employer plans usually do not, and the difference is exactly where the lifetime penalty from mistake one comes from. If your situation involves work, a spouse's plan, or COBRA, get it checked before you decide anything.
What to have ready for the call
Three things make the check fast and exact: your list of doctors you want to keep, your prescriptions with dosages, and, if you are still working, who your current coverage is through and how many people work there. With those in hand, one unhurried call answers the whole picture: your dates, your options, and what each path really costs in your county.
Who am I talking to?
Michael von Heesen, an independent licensed Florida agent (license G345487, NPN 22236708), AHIP certified, based in Miami, appointed with multiple A-rated national carriers. One person, no call center, and your information is never sold. We do not offer every plan available in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
