Thank you so much, everyone!

More on payments
https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/pay-premiums

$500 for 3 months isn't right. Unless you were approximating.
Who is the bill from? It should be
https://www.medicare.gov/basics/costs/pay-premiums/online-bill-pay

It's not free. It has means tested premiums. I pay $370 a month.
If you get Social Security they deduct it from your monthly amount. I guess if you don't they bill you.
Pay attention to Part D info.
If you are still working and have employer coverage including prescriptions and it's "creditable" coverage you can defer Part D without penalty. If you have an employer retiree plan and are not working Medicare is primary coverage but if the retiree plan does prescriptions you likely need nor sign up for D so long as you keep the retiree plan. Check with your employer snd save your paperwork in case you want D later.

Its prettty crummy as you pay into medicare all your life and then you pay when you also get it.

Reach out to the SHIP office near you for help. This is a link to the Montgomery County SHIP office.

https://medicareabcd.org/

Anonymous wrote:I was delighted to register for Medicare--I felt so European, not to have to worry about healthcare costs! I registered for Part A and Part B. But I just got a bill--for $500! it will cover me from August (my birthday month) through October.
I didn't expect this bill. I guess that means it will be $2,000 a year, which is fine, but I guess I thought I could space out the payments.
Thanks for holding my hand and getting me through this. I listened to seminars, went to a class, and still feel blindsided.

I don’t understand how you could think this if you actually went to seminars and a class. Did you sleep through them?

10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735378615/?bestFormat=true&k=medicare%20mistakes&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_de_k2_1_11&crid=3RSV98RDT3ZJ5&sprefix=Medicare%20mi

Here’s another excellent book to read up on Medicare
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1735378615/?bestFormat=true&k=medicare%20mistakes&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_de_k2_1_11&crid=3RSV98RDT3ZJ5&sprefix=Medicare%20mi

Yes, the Part B premium is $185 a month unless your income is high enough for it to be more. You will still have cost sharing --Part A deductible of $1676 and Part B deductible of $257, then a lot of things have 20% cost sharing or other costs. You can get either Medigap or Medicare Advantage to help with some of the cost sharing, but these cost money also.

You should get Part D plan for prescriptions now or you will have to pay a penalty for the rest of your life if you do enroll later. Some Medicare Advantage plans cover drugs. No Medigap plans do, but there are standalone Part D plans you can get.

There's more depending on what you want to know, but that's some of the basics.

Medicare is not free. I recommend Medicare for Dummies which is a good primer. Part B costs $185/mo. which is laid out here on the Medicare.gov web page. It can be confusing so you definitely need to read and plan.

https://www.medicare.gov/basics/get-started-with-medicare/medicare-basics/what-does-medicare-cost

I was delighted to register for Medicare--I felt so European, not to have to worry about healthcare costs! I registered for Part A and Part B. But I just got a bill--for $500! it will cover me from August (my birthday month) through October.
I didn't expect this bill. I guess that means it will be $2,000 a year, which is fine, but I guess I thought I could space out the payments.
Thanks for holding my hand and getting me through this. I listened to seminars, went to a class, and still feel blindsided.