I spent two years as a Licensed Health Insurance Agent at eHealth, Inc., and I can tell you, the number one thing people get wrong about Medicare is thinking that turning 65 means healthcare is just... handled. Covered. Done. It is not. Medicare has four parts. Part A covers hospital stays, and yes, most people don't pay a premium for it, but there are deductibles and coinsurance costs that can add up fast. Part B covers outpatient care, and that premium comes directly out of your Social Security check whether you realize it or not. Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, is where plans from carriers like Humana, Aetna, WellCare, and Cigna come in. And Part D? That's your prescription drug coverage, sold separately, with its own premiums, formularies, and coverage gaps. Here's what I watched people miss over and over: they enrolled in a plan without checking whether their doctors and prescriptions were covered under that specific plan. Being on Medicare does not mean all Medicare plans work the same. Two people on Humana can have completely different networks, different drug tiers, and different out-of-pocket maximums. The other thing that catches people off guard is the enrollment window. Miss your Initial Enrollment Period and you could face a late enrollment penalty that follows you for life. But there are also Special Enrollment Periods and Annual Enrollment Periods, and knowing the difference between them can save you from being stuck in the wrong plan for an entire year. I've enrolled hundreds of recipients in their chosen plans. I've had the hard conversations where someone called in confused, frustrated, and paying for coverage that wasn't working for them. The solution is almost always the same: slow down, ask the right questions, and actually read your Summary of Benefits. Medicare is a benefit you've earned. Make it work for you.