More older Americans are working after age 65 than ever before. Some do it for financial reasons. The added income helps defray health care and other living expenses. Others do it for social and intellectual benefits. Regardless of why you may decide to continue working past age 65, you can receive Medicare benefits while you’re still working. Here’s how Medicare works when you’re not retired.

Even a small mistake in your Medicare choice can have a year-long impact, resulting in added premiums or out-of-pocket costs. Choosing the wrong Medicare plan could also impact your access to needed hospital and medical coverage or limit your choices in the type of care you receive. Here’s what you need to know.

Medicare Advantage & Prescription Drug Plan Annual Enrollment Period (also known as Medicare Fall Open Enrollment or Medicare Annual Election Period) runs from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. During this time, you can make changes to your existing Medicare health and drug coverage. The key to maximizing this yearly opportunity starts with knowing your options.

Economic uncertainty has older adults nearing retirement decision time seeking the safer path: working full time a little longer and committing to part-time work in retirement.  While age 64 recently has been the average for full-time retirement, a new national survey of older adults reveals most people say they’ll be ready to retire somewhere between 66 and 70. 

A new Age-Friendly Institute survey indicates Americans are planning to further push out retirement. On average, adults age 50+ who are still working say 68 is their target retirement age. 

Taking an active role in your health care puts the responsibility for good communication on both you and your doctor. This means asking questions if the doctor's explanations or instructions are unclear, bringing up problems even if the doctor doesn't ask, and letting the doctor know if you have concerns about a particular treatment or change in your daily life

A surprisingly high percentage of retirees say they’d pick a different spot in which to spend their later years.  In a survey of people in their 70’s, 31% say “no” when asked “if you had to do it all over again, based on what you know now, would you choose where you are currently residing again?”.

So much of your experience in retirement will revolve around where you live—why not base that decision on first-hand experience, data, and a methodology for highlighting the best spots?

Talking about your health means sharing information about how you feel physically, emotionally, and mentally. Knowing how to describe your symptoms and bring up other concerns will help you become a partner in your health care. Use these worksheets to organize your questions and information when talking with your doctor

While you may be overwhelmed with the amount of information out there on AEP, here’s a guide to help you prepare for enrolling in coverage during the Medicare Annual Enrollment Period 2024.