What is Medicare?

For many Polish families in the U.S., Medicare is the first time someone in the household is buying their own health coverage, not getting it through an employer. Official letters arrive in English. The terminology doesn't translate cleanly. And the decisions made in this short window shape what's covered for years.

That's why we exist. We explain everything to your parent in Polish, calmly, step by step, and we keep you in the loop in English. Nobody signs anything they don't understand.

Three main groups:

• People 65 or older. After 5 years of legal U.S. residency and, in most cases, 40 quarters of work history paid into Social Security (about 10 years).
• People under 65 receiving SSDI. Social Security Disability Insurance recipients qualify after 24 months on SSDI.
• People with specific conditions. ESRD (end-stage renal disease) or ALS, regardless of age.

Medicare isn't a single plan. It's a set of four parts, each covering different services with its own rules and costs.

• Part A. Helps pay for inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facilities, and hospice. Free for most beneficiaries.
• Part B. Covers doctor visits and outpatient care. Has a monthly premium set yearly by CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).
• Part C. Known as Medicare Advantage, an alternative way to receive Medicare benefits through a private insurance company.
• Part D. A separate prescription-drug plan, sold by private insurers.

Beyond these four parts, there are also supplemental policies. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) directly supplements Original Medicare. There are also private supplemental plans, not part of the Medicare program: hospital indemnity plans (HIP), dental/vision, accident, and critical-illness coverage. More on Medicare Supplement and Supplemental Plans.

After enrolling, your parent receives a red-white-and-blue card with an 11-character Medicare ID. This card replaced the older Social Security-numbered card in January 2020. The old cards are no longer active.

If your parent still has the old card, please contact us. We'll help replace it for free.

The most important window is the Initial Enrollment Period (IEP). It runs for seven months around the 65th birthday: three months before the birthday month, the birthday month itself, and three months after.

There are several other windows too:

• AEP (Annual Election Period). The fall enrollment window, October 15 to December 7.
• MA-OEP (Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period). January 1 to March 31.
• SEP (Special Election Periods). Triggered by qualifying life events.

Full breakdown on the Enrolling in Medicare page.

Not entirely.

• Part A. Free for most people who've worked 40 quarters.
• Part B. Monthly premium set yearly by CMS, and income-adjusted upward (IRMAA) for higher earners.
• Parts C, D, and Medigap. Private plans with their own monthly premiums.

And beyond premiums, your parent will pay something out of pocket when they use care: deductible (the amount before insurance kicks in), copay (a flat fee per visit), and coinsurance (a percentage share). These are what actually determine the real cost of coverage in any given year.

We're a licensed, independent insurance agency serving Polish-speaking families in Illinois, Florida, Colorado, Arizona, and 13 other states. We explain Medicare to your parent in Polish, we compare plans from multiple carriers, we verify their doctors and medications, and we walk both of you through the paperwork.

Jakub Słomczewski Licensed Insurance Agent I explain Medicare to your parent in Polish, step by step, and to you in English.

Working with our agency costs your family nothing. Agents are compensated by the insurance carriers, not by clients.