Plain-English guides for Brighton and Colorado families. Each one answers a real question, explains what is at stake in Colorado, and tells you what to do next. Take the Stress Out of Medicare
Advantage, Supplement and Part D, compared for your doctors and prescriptions.
9 min read
A month-by-month Medicare checklist for turning 65 in Brighton and across Colorado: when to enroll, what to compare, which deadlines carry penalties, and which choice is hardest to undo.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
Who qualifies for Medicare, when Part A is premium-free, how disability and kidney failure change the timing, and what Colorado residents should have ready before they enroll.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
10 min read
Every Medicare enrollment window in one place: the Initial Enrollment Period, Annual Enrollment October 15 to December 7, Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, Special Enrollment Periods, the Medigap window and the edge cases.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
9 min read
Every 2026 Medicare cost in one place from CMS: Part A, the $202.90 Part B premium and $283 deductible, IRMAA, late penalties, Part D limits for 2026 and 2027, and a worked yearly total near Brighton.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
What to check every fall before your Medicare plan renews: the Annual Notice of Change, your drugs and pharmacy, your doctors, a worked total yearly cost comparison, and the questions to ask before December 7, 2026.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
If you or your spouse keep working past 65, whether you need Part B now depends on your employer size. Here is how the rules work, how to avoid penalties, and what to do with an HSA.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
9 min read
The biggest Medicare decision, side by side: how Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans differ on doctors, costs, drugs and travel, why switching later is harder in Colorado, and how to decide.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
HMO, HMO-POS, PPO, Special Needs Plans, PFFS and MSA plans explained in plain English, with the plan types actually offered in Adams and Weld counties for 2027.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
Every standardized Medicare Supplement plan sold in Colorado side by side, what Plan G, Plan N and the others pay, who can still buy Plan F, and how to compare prices between companies.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
The Colorado rules for buying and switching Medicare Supplement plans: your six-month window, guaranteed issue rights including one unique to Colorado, coverage for people under 65 with a disability, and why there is no birthday rule.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
11 min read
How Medicare drug coverage works for 2027: the $700 maximum deductible, the $2,400 out-of-pocket cap, worked yearly cost examples, the late penalty, and all 8 standalone Part D plans in Colorado.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
12 min read
A step-by-step way to confirm your doctors are in network and your prescriptions are covered before you choose a 2027 Medicare plan: a Medicare Plan Finder walkthrough, how to read a drug tier, prior authorization and step therapy, a Brighton worked example and the questions to ask the office and the pharmacy.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
If your income is limited, Health First Colorado can pay your Medicare premiums through a Medicare Savings Program, and Extra Help can lower your drug costs. The 2026 Colorado limits, a worked example, and how to apply.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
10 min read
If you have both Medicare and Health First Colorado (Colorado Medicaid): who pays first, exactly what each Medicare Savings Program pays, drug coverage, D-SNPs, PACE and long-term care.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
Who to call for every kind of Medicare question in Colorado: Medicare, Colorado SHIP, Social Security, Health First Colorado, claims and coordination, fraud, appeals, and a local licensed agent in Brighton.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
6 min read
The official Medicare & You handbook explained: what is inside the 2027 edition, when it arrives, how to get it online, in large print or in other languages, and how to use it alongside the Colorado guides.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
Prefer to learn in a group? See our Medicare education sessions, in person in Brighton or online, compare 2027 plans with our plan finder, and find official Medicare forms on our Resources page.
Connect for Health Colorado plans and tax credits, pre-65 coverage, short-term medical and HSAs.
9 min read
Colorado runs its own health insurance marketplace. Here are the 2027 open enrollment dates, who can use it, what changed after the federal tax credits shrank, and how to shop it step by step.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
10 min read
How premium tax credits, cost-sharing reductions and Colorado Premium Assistance work now that the enhanced federal credits have expired, with the 2026 and 2027 IRS tables and worked examples.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
The ten categories of care every Connect for Health Colorado plan must cover, what "no annual or lifetime limit" really means, and what is usually not included.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
The SBC is the standard form every health plan must give you. Here is how to read it in ten minutes and use it to compare plans on the same terms.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
Which screenings, vaccines and checkups ACA plans cover with no copay, the rules that decide when a "free" visit turns into a bill, and a simple yearly checklist.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
10 min read
Retiring before 65 in Colorado? Compare COBRA, Connect for Health Colorado, off-exchange plans, a spouse's plan and Health First Colorado, and plan your income around the 400% cliff.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
What short-term medical plans are, what they leave out, how Colorado and federal rules limit them, and the ACA options that usually work better for a gap in coverage.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
How an HSA works, who can open one, the IRS contribution limits for 2026 and 2027, the new rule that makes Bronze plans HSA compatible, and what happens at Medicare.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
Dental, vision, critical illness, hospital indemnity, cancer, short-term care and travel cover for the gaps.
8 min read
How dental PPO, HMO, indemnity and discount plans differ, what the 100/80/50 coverage pattern means, waiting periods, annual maximums, and what Medicare does not cover.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
Routine eye exams, glasses, contacts and hearing aids are often not covered by health insurance or Original Medicare. Here is what vision plans, hearing benefits and OTC hearing aids offer.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
11 min read
Critical illness insurance pays a lump sum if you are diagnosed with a covered condition such as a heart attack, stroke or cancer. How the benefit is built, what triggers it, how it fits with Medicare, a worked 2027 example and when it does not make sense.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
Hospital indemnity pays you set cash amounts for a hospital stay, which can help with Medicare Advantage inpatient copays or an ACA deductible. How it works and what to check.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
11 min read
Cancer insurance pays cash benefits after a covered cancer diagnosis and, in many policies, for specific treatments. How the benefits are built, what triggers them, how they sit beside Medicare, a worked 2027 example, Colorado rules and when it does not make sense.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
8 min read
Short-term care insurance pays a daily benefit for up to a year of home health care, assisted living or nursing home care, the custodial care Medicare does not cover.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
7 min read
Original Medicare generally does not cover care outside the U.S. What Medigap and Medicare Advantage may cover abroad, and how travel medical insurance fills the gap.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
Burial and final expense cover so your family is not left with the bill.
8 min read
Final expense insurance is a small whole life policy meant to pay funeral and end-of-life costs so your family is not left with the bill. How it works, the underwriting types, and what to compare.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
A no-cost retirement planning review and annuities for income you cannot outlive.
10 min read
A step by step retirement checklist for the years before and after you stop working: Social Security timing, health coverage before and at 65, income sources, required distributions and protecting what you have built.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
9 min read
An annuity is a contract with an insurance company that can turn savings into income. Immediate versus deferred, fixed, indexed and variable, surrender charges, taxes and the questions to ask.
Reviewed October 13, 2026
The guides are written by the Headwaters Health and Wealth Data Desk and reviewed by Lisa Asmussen, Medicare Broker and Licensed Insurance Agent, at our office in Brighton, Colorado. Every figure is labeled with its year and source.
Medicare plan figures use the CY2027 CMS Landscape file for Adams and Weld counties and the Colorado Part D region, and federal amounts such as the Part B premium use the latest official 2026 values from CMS until the 2027 amounts are announced, usually in November.
Yes. Call (303) 887-8584 or use our contact page to talk with a licensed agent about your doctors, prescriptions and budget.
Please note: We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 106 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options. Final expense, annuity and supplemental products are subject to underwriting and carrier approval. Guarantees are based on the claims-paying ability of the issuing company. Nothing on this site is tax, legal or investment advice.
Book a free, no-obligation review with Lisa in Brighton, by phone or by video. Bring your questions; leave with answers.
992 South Fourth Avenue, Brighton, CO 80601 · (303) 887-8584
Content reviewed by Lisa Asmussen, Medicare Broker and Licensed Insurance Agent at Headwaters Health and Wealth in Brighton, Colorado, certified to sell Medicare plans since 2018 (8 years). Last updated .
