Sources and dates checked

Every figure and rule on this site, with the source it comes from and the date it was last checked against that source.

A rebuild of the site doesn't count as a check. The dates below change only when someone opens the source and confirms the figure. Most sources were checked automatically for a working page as well as read. Two official pages block automated checks and weren't opened: Social Security's sign-up page and Medicare's Plan Finder. Their links were taken from Medicare.gov pages, and each says so below.

Where a figure for next year hadn't been announced, it is listed as not announced, with the date that was confirmed. The one projection on the site, CMS's projected average premium for stand-alone drug plans in 2027, is labeled as a projection and names CMS.

Figures

Rules

• The higher Part B premium is based on income on your tax return from two years before (2024 for 2026). Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Initial Enrollment Period: seven months around the month you turn 65: 3 months before, the month you turn 65, 3 months after. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Birthday on the 1st: the window starts and ends a month earlier: 4 months before to 2 months after your birthday month. Source: Medicare.gov, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• When Part B starts, by the month you sign up: for people who turned 65 from January 2023, the first 3 months of the window give the month you turn 65 and the last 4 the month after you sign up; before January 2023, the last 3 months gave 2 or 3 months after you sign up: turned 65 from January 2023: first 3 months, the month you turn 65; last 4, the month after you sign up. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Premium-free Part A starts the month you turn 65; signing up later, it reaches back up to 6 months (not before 65). Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Getting Social Security at least 4 months before 65 signs you up for Parts A and B automatically. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• General Enrollment Period: January 1 to March 31; coverage starts the month after you sign up. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Open Enrollment: October 15 to December 7; changes start January 1. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment: January 1 to March 31, one change, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Special Enrollment Period for job-based coverage: any time while covered, or 8 months after the job or the coverage ends, whichever is first. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• The regulation's conditions for the job-coverage Special Enrollment Period: job coverage (or Part B) when first eligible at 65, and one or the other since. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• COBRA and retiree coverage don't count as job-based coverage for the Special Enrollment Period. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Employer with 20 or more employees: the job plan pays first; fewer than 20: Medicare pays first. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• No HSA contributions once you have Medicare; consider stopping 6 months before you apply. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Part B late-enrollment penalty: 10% for each full 12 months, usually for as long as you have Part B. Source: Medicare.gov, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Which months count toward the Part B penalty (sign-ups from January 1, 2023: to the end of the month you sign up). Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Sign-ups before 2023: the penalty count ran to the end of the enrollment period you signed up in (March 31 for the General Enrollment Period), and General Enrollment Period coverage started July 1. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Part A penalty for people who buy Part A: up to 10%, for twice the years you waited. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Part D penalty: 1% of the base premium for each month without creditable drug coverage (63 days or more). Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medigap Open Enrollment: 6 months from when you are 65 and have Part B. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Plan leaving Medicare: one of the situations that give a federal right to buy a Medigap policy; apply from 60 days before to 63 days after the plan ends. Source: Medicare.gov, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medigap plans the right covers when a plan leaves: A, B, C, F, K and L, or A, B, D, G, K and L for people new to Medicare from January 1, 2020. Source: Medicare.gov, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked October 25, 2026.
• These Medigap rights are federal; your state may give you more. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Plan not renewed: special right to choose another plan from December 8 to the last day of February. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Moved into another plan from the same company: you stay enrolled; the end-of-February window and the Medigap right come with a Plan Non-Renewal Notice. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Medicare.gov, Medicare.gov, KFF. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Plans send an Annual Notice of Change and Evidence of Coverage each fall. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or come to your home. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Social Security counts you as reaching an age the day before your birthday. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Earliest retirement benefit: the first month you are 62 for the whole month. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Full retirement age by date of birth: 66 for 1943 to 1954, rising two months a year to 67 for 1960 and later; January 1 birthdays use the year before. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Early-claiming reduction: 5/9 of 1% a month for 36 months, then 5/12 of 1%. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Delayed retirement credits: 2/3 of 1% a month (8% a year) from full retirement age to 70. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Catch-up contributions start in the year you turn 50. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Higher catch-up in the years you turn 60, 61, 62 and 63, from 2025. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Roth catch-up rule for higher earners; final regulations generally apply from 2027. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Federal Register. Checked October 25, 2026.
• No 10% additional tax on withdrawals after 59½. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Workplace plans: no 10% additional tax if you leave the job in or after the year you turn 55. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Age RMDs start, by date of birth: 70½ (born before July 1, 1949); 72 (to December 31, 1950); 73 (1951 to 1958, and 1959 under proposed rules); 75 (1960 and later). Source: Federal Register, Federal Register. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Born in 1959: 73 under proposed regulations, not yet final. Source: Federal Register. Checked October 25, 2026.
• First RMD may wait until April 1 of the next year; the second is due December 31 of that year. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Workplace plans: RMDs can wait until you retire, unless you own 5% of the business. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• No RMDs from Roth IRAs or designated Roth accounts while the owner is alive. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Missed RMD: 25% excise tax, 10% if corrected within two years. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• The IRS may waive the missed-RMD tax for reasonable error; ask on Form 5329 with a letter of explanation. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• RMD amount: last December 31 balance divided by an IRS life-expectancy factor. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• IRAs can be totaled and taken from one or more; 401(k) and 457(b) plans each separately. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Qualified charitable distributions from an IRA from age 70½; they can count toward your RMD. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medicare's phone line: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227); TTY 1-877-486-2048. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Social Security's phone line: 1-800-772-1213; TTY 1-800-325-0778. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• The Railroad Retirement Board's phone line, for people who worked for a railroad: 1-877-772-5772. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Free one-on-one Medicare counseling in your state: State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Source: Medicare.gov, SHIP Technical Assistance Center. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medicare's Plan Finder. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Signing up for Parts A and B with Social Security. Source: Social Security Administration. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Form CMS-40B, to add Part B. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Form CMS-L564, proof of job-based coverage. Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Federal law on using the names Medicare and Social Security. Source: Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Most people pay no Part A premium: usually 10 years of work, yours or a spouse's. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• When job coverage ends, 2 months to join a Medicare Advantage or drug plan. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medicare Savings Programs help people with limited income pay Medicare costs; enrolling generally means no Part B penalty. Source: Medicare.gov, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Special Enrollment Periods for exceptional situations, from January 1, 2023. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Drug lists and tiers change from year to year, not just premiums. Source: KFF. Checked October 25, 2026.
• After the Part B deductible you generally pay 20% of the cost of Medicare-covered services. Source: Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.
• RMDs apply to traditional, SEP and SIMPLE IRAs and workplace plan accounts. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• RMDs are taxable income, except basis and qualified Roth distributions. Source: Internal Revenue Service. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Earnings test: $1 withheld for every $2 above the limit; $1 for every $3 in the year you reach full retirement age; none after. Source: Electronic Code of Federal Regulations. Checked October 25, 2026.
• The 2027 adjustment applies to benefits paid from January 2027; SSI from December 31, 2026. Source: Federal Register. Checked October 25, 2026.
• Medicare before 65 through a disability, End-Stage Renal Disease or ALS has its own timing. Source: Medicare.gov, Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026.

The sources

1. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2026 Medicare Parts A & B Premiums and Deductibles (fact sheet), November 14, 2025. Supports: 2026 Part B standard premium $202.90 and deductible $283; Part A deductible $1,736; income-related premium table. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
2. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS Newsroom. Supports: 2027 Part B premium and deductible not yet announced: newest items dated October 23, 2026, none on Part B for 2027. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; listing read.
3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Announcement of Calendar Year 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies, April 6, 2026. Supports: Part D standard deductible $615 (2026) and $700 (2027); out-of-pocket threshold $2,100 (2026) and $2,400 (2027). Checked October 25, 2026: PDF downloaded; parameter table read.
4. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Part D 2027 National Average Monthly Bid Amount Information (fact sheet), July 28, 2026. Supports: 2027 Part D base beneficiary premium $41.33. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
5. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027 (press release), September 28, 2026. Supports: Average stand-alone drug plan premium $35.09 in 2026, projected by CMS at $36 for 2027; Open Enrollment October 15 to December 7, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
6. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Form CMS-40B: Request for Enrollment in Medicare Part B. Supports: The form for adding Part B when you already have Part A. Checked October 25, 2026: PDF downloaded; title read.
7. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Form CMS-L564: Medicare Request for Employment Information. Supports: Proof of group health plan coverage from current work, for the Special Enrollment Period; employer fills in Section B; coverage must not have ended more than 8 months ago. Checked October 25, 2026: PDF downloaded; first page read.
8. Medicare.gov, When does Medicare coverage start?. Supports: Seven-month Initial Enrollment Period; born-on-the-1st rule and June 1 example; coverage start by sign-up month; Part A back up to 6 months; HSA note; General Enrollment Period; Special Enrollment Periods (job coverage, 8 months, COBRA not counted, up-to-3-month delay, exceptional conditions). Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text and pop-up notes read.
9. Medicare.gov, Avoid late enrollment penalties. Supports: Part B penalty 10% per full 12 months, usually for life, 24-month example and $243.50 rounding; Part A penalty; Part D penalty 1% a month, 63 days, $38.99 base premium for 2026; Medicare Savings Program note. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
10. Medicare.gov, Joining a plan. Supports: Open Enrollment October 15 to December 7 and what you can change; Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment January 1 to March 31 (one change); plan-ending special right to the last day of February and coverage dates; 1-800-MEDICARE. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
11. Medicare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods. Supports: Contract not renewed: December 8 to the last day of February; enrolled in Original Medicare if you don't join another plan before yours ends. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
12. Medicare.gov, Plan Non-Renewal Notice. Supports: You get this notice from your plan, in October, if your plan is leaving the Medicare program in the coming year. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
13. Medicare.gov, When can I buy a Medigap policy?. Supports: Plan leaving Medicare: apply from 60 days before to no more than 63 days after coverage ends; Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K or L, with the page's note that people new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020 get D and G instead of C and F; the answers cover federal rights only, and states may offer more; keep the plan's letters. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text and its pop-up notes read.
14. Medicare.gov, Buying a Medigap policy. Supports: Medigap Open Enrollment: 6 months after Part B starts; afterwards companies don't have to sell you a policy unless you have guaranteed issue rights. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
15. Medicare.gov, How do I sign up for Medicare?. Supports: Automatic Part A and B if getting Social Security benefits at least 4 months before 65; Social Security 1-800-772-1213, TTY 1-800-325-0778; people who worked for a railroad, or whose spouse did, call the Railroad Retirement Board at 1-877-772-5772; links to ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
16. Medicare.gov, When can I sign up for Medicare?. Supports: Still working: 8 months after you stop working; small employers (under 20): job coverage might not pay without Parts A and B; sign up for Part B the month before you retire; extra form; 2 months to join a plan. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
17. Medicare.gov, Who pays first?. Supports: Employer with 20 or more employees: group plan pays first; fewer than 20: Medicare pays first; retiree coverage and COBRA: Medicare pays first. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
18. Medicare.gov, Medicare costs. Supports: Plans send an Evidence of Coverage and an Annual Notice of Change each fall; the higher Part B premium is based on modified adjusted gross income on your tax return from 2 years ago (2024 income for 2026). Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text and its pop-up notes read.
19. Medicare.gov, Talk to someone. Supports: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048; free counseling from State Health Insurance Assistance Programs. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
20. Medicare.gov, Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse. Supports: Medicare will never call you to sell you anything or visit your home; don't give your Medicare Number to strangers. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
21. Medicare.gov, Medicare Plan Finder. Supports: The official tool for comparing health and drug plans. Checked October 25, 2026: Not machine-checked: returns 403 to automated requests. URL taken from links on the Medicare.gov pages above.
22. SHIP Technical Assistance Center, Find Local Medicare Help (State Health Insurance Assistance Programs). Supports: Local one-on-one Medicare counseling; linked from Medicare.gov. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
23. Social Security Administration, Sign up for Medicare. Supports: Where to sign up for Parts A and B online. Checked October 25, 2026: Not machine-checked: ssa.gov blocks automated requests. URL taken from links on Medicare.gov pages.
24. CNBC, Social Security Administration announces 3.6% cost-of-living adjustment for 2027, October 14, 2026. Supports: The agency announced the 3.6% adjustment on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, and said retirement benefits rise about $75 a month on average. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
25. Federal Register, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2027 (Social Security Administration notice, 91 FR 67380), October 26, 2026. Supports: 3.6% increase for benefits for December 2026, payable in January 2027; SSI increase paid December 31, 2026; contribution and benefit base $192,300 for 2027; earnings-test exempt amounts $2,130 and $5,660 a month, and the annual amounts are 12 times those ($25,560 and $67,920). Checked October 25, 2026: Federal Register full text read on October 25, 2026 (the October 26, 2026 issue, filed for public inspection October 23); curl 200.
26. Federal Register, Cost-of-Living Increase and Other Determinations for 2026 (Social Security Administration notice, 90 FR 49047), November 3, 2025. Supports: 2.8% increase for benefits for December 2025; contribution and benefit base $184,500 for 2026; earnings-test exempt amounts $2,040 and $5,430 a month ($24,480 and $65,160 a year). Checked October 25, 2026: Federal Register full text read; curl 200.
27. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 404.2(c)(4): Attainment of age. Supports: You reach an age on the first moment of the day before your birthday. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text (as of October 22, 2026) read.
28. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 404.311: When entitlement to old-age benefits begins. Supports: Before full retirement age you must meet the requirements throughout the month. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
29. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 404.409: What is full retirement age?. Supports: Full retirement age table by date of birth (January 2 to January 1 ranges). Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
30. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 404.410: How SSA reduces benefits before full retirement age. Supports: 5/9 of 1% a month for the first 36 months, 5/12 of 1% beyond. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
31. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 404.313: Delayed retirement credits. Supports: 2/3 of 1% a month for people born after January 1, 1943, from full retirement age to the month you reach 70. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
32. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 407.14: Initial enrollment period. Supports: Seven months: three before the first month of eligibility, that month, three after. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
33. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 407.15: General enrollment period. Supports: January through March each year. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
34. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 407.20: Special enrollment period related to coverage under group health plans. Supports: To use this Special Enrollment Period: covered by a group health plan through current work (or enrolled in Part B) when first eligible, and covered by one or the other in all months since. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text (as of October 22, 2026) read.
35. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 407.25: Beginning of entitlement. Supports: For people first eligible from January 2023: first three months of the window, coverage starts the month you turn 65; last four, the month after you sign up; General Enrollment Period from 2023, the month after. For people first eligible before 2023: the fourth month gave the next month, the fifth the second month after sign-up, the last two the third month after; General Enrollment Period sign-ups before 2023 started July 1. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
36. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 408.22: Increased premiums for late enrollment. Supports: 10% for each full twelve months. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
37. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 408.24: Which months count toward the penalty. Supports: Sign-ups from January 1, 2023: months between the end of the Initial Enrollment Period and the end of the month you enroll; sign-ups before 2023: to the end of the enrollment period you enrolled in; both leave out months of group coverage through current work. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.
38. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 42 CFR 422.530: Plan crosswalks. Supports: A crosswalk moves enrollees from one plan to another under the same contract (renewals and consolidated renewals); members disenrolled when a plan leaves an area get a non-renewal notice with a Special Enrollment Period and, where it applies, Medigap guaranteed issue rights. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text (as of October 22, 2026) read.
39. Internal Revenue Service, Retirement topics: Catch-up contributions, May 7, 2026. Supports: Age 50 by the end of the year; $8,000 catch-up and $11,250 for ages 60 to 63 in 2026; $1,100 IRA catch-up; Roth catch-up above $150,000 of prior-year wages. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read (page updated May 7, 2026).
40. Internal Revenue Service, COLA increases for dollar limitations on benefits and contributions, August 24, 2026. Supports: 2026 limits: 401(k) $24,500, IRA $7,500; newest year listed is 2026 (page updated August 24, 2026). Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; table read.
41. Internal Revenue Service, Notice 2025-67: 2026 amounts relating to retirement plans and IRAs. Supports: Qualified charitable distribution limit $111,000 for 2026; ages 60 to 63 limit $11,250; Roth catch-up wage threshold $150,000. Checked October 25, 2026: PDF downloaded; text read.
42. Internal Revenue Service, News releases for current month. Supports: No 2027 retirement-plan limits announced: releases through IR-2026-128 (October 23, 2026) checked. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; list read.
43. Internal Revenue Service, Retirement topics: Exceptions to tax on early distributions. Supports: 10% additional tax before 59½; age-55 separation-from-service exception for workplace plans. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
44. Internal Revenue Service, Retirement plan and IRA required minimum distributions FAQs, January 29, 2026. Supports: First RMD may wait until April 1 of the next year (73 in 2024: April 1, 2025, then December 31, 2025); still-working exception unless a 5% owner; no RMDs from Roth IRAs or designated Roth accounts while the owner is alive; 25% excise tax, 10% if corrected within two years; how the amount is figured; totals across IRAs; the penalty may be waived for reasonable error, by filing Form 5329 with a letter of explanation. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read (updated January 29, 2026).
45. Internal Revenue Service, Retirement plans FAQs regarding IRAs: distributions (withdrawals), March 23, 2026. Supports: Qualified charitable distributions from age 70½; they can count toward an RMD. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
46. Federal Register, Required Minimum Distributions (final regulations, T.D. 10001), July 19, 2024. Supports: Applicable age by date of birth: before July 1, 1949, 70½; to December 31, 1950, 72; 1951 to 1958, 73; 1960 and later, 75; 1959 reserved. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; regulation text read.
47. Federal Register, Required Minimum Distributions (proposed regulations), July 19, 2024. Supports: Born in 1959: applicable age would be 73. A Federal Register search on October 25, 2026 found no final rule replacing it. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; text read; Federal Register API searched for later IRS RMD rules.
48. Federal Register, Catch-Up Contributions (final regulations), September 16, 2025. Supports: Roth catch-up regulations generally apply to contributions in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; applicability section read.
49. KFF, Most Medicare Beneficiaries Affected by Plan Terminations in 2025 Have Robust Medicare Advantage Options in 2026, March 13, 2026. Supports: 2.6 million people's Medicare Advantage drug plans ended at the end of 2025 (13% of individual-plan enrollees); 98.9% had at least one such plan for 2026, 25 on average. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
50. KFF, The Average Medicare Beneficiary has 28 Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plan Options for 2027, October 1, 2026. Supports: 28 Medicare Advantage drug plans for the average beneficiary in 2027, down from 32 in 2026; in many cases, enrollees in exiting plans will be moved automatically into another plan from the same insurer. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
51. KFF, Medicare Advantage Plan Availability Varies Widely by County for 2027, October 9, 2026. Supports: 193 counties (638,000 people) with no Medicare Advantage drug plan for 2027; UnitedHealth Group leaving 228 counties, Humana 62. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
52. KFF, Many Medicare Part D Stand-Alone Drug Plan Enrollees Will See Modest Premium Increases for 2027, But Others Could Pay Much More If They Don't Switch Plans, October 2, 2026. Supports: No $0-premium stand-alone drug plans for people without Extra Help in 2027 (4 million paid $0 in 2026); 9 stand-alone plans for the average beneficiary, down from 11. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
53. CBS News, Humana, UnitedHealthcare ending Medicare Advantage plans for 1 million seniors, insurers say, October 23, 2026. Supports: Humana: plan exits for 2027 affect about 600,000 members, most of whom will be offered an alternative plan; UnitedHealthcare: about 390,000, who will have another UnitedHealthcare plan available. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; page text read.
54. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 42 U.S. Code § 1320b-10: Prohibitions relating to references to Social Security or Medicare. Supports: Using these names in a way that suggests government approval is prohibited. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; text read.
55. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, 42 U.S. Code § 1395ss: Certification of medicare supplemental health insurance policies. Supports: Subsection (s)(3): guaranteed issue of Medigap Plans A, B, C or F when a Medicare Advantage plan is discontinued; subsection (z): for people who neither turned 65 before January 1, 2020 nor had Part A before then because of disability or End-Stage Renal Disease, C and F are read as D and G. Checked October 25, 2026: curl 200; text of subsections (s)(3) and (z) read.
56. Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, 20 CFR 404.430: Exempt amounts and excess earnings (the earnings test). Supports: Before the year you reach full retirement age, excess earnings are 50% of earnings above the exempt amount; in that year, 33 1/3% of earnings before the month you reach it; earnings after that month are not tested. Checked October 25, 2026: eCFR API text read.