ArcaMax

This summer, at dinner with her best friend, Jacki Barden raised an uncomfortable topic: the possibility that she might die alone.

“I have no children, no husband, no siblings,” Barden remembered saying. “Who’s going to hold my hand while I die?”

Barden, 75, never had children. She’s lived on her own in western Massachusetts since ...Read more

Toni:

In August, my husband and I enrolled in a Medicare Supplement, which has not paid a medical claim because we were in a Medicare Advantage plan when we applied for the Medicare Supplement. We could not leave the Advantage plan and return to Original Medicare due to Medicare rules.

I was told that Medicare’s Open Enrollment is when Sonny...Read more

Toni:

Currently, I am on a stand-alone Part D plan with a Medicare Supplement because of my serious health issues. Last week, I received information about the changes to the 2026 Medicare Part D plan I am currently enrolled in, and the premium is increasing by $50 per month, from $44.80 to $94.80 beginning January 1. The Part D ...Read more

Dear Toni,

My Medicare starts November 1, and I received my first bill, due on October 25, about a week ago. This bill is for three months, from November 1 to January 31, and it’s over $550. I currently have more than $12,000 on my Health Savings Account (HSA) debit card through my past employer, ...Read more

Toni,

My sister suggested that I send you an email because I’m confused on what to do with enrolling in Medicare since I turn 65 on Jan. 5, 2026. Please help me, Toni, because I’m overwhelmed by the marketing material received for Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period. What do I do?

I’m not sure when is the right time to ...Read more

Dear Toni:

I turned 65 in February and did not enroll in a Medicare Prescription Drug plan. I have been told that I must wait until October for Medicare’s enrollment time. I need help now because I have been prescribed an expensive brand-name prescription. I thought I could enroll at any time of the year, but the application for Part D was ...Read more