Licensed Medicare agent · Austin, Texas
Medicare,
engineered
for you.
built around your doctors + your prescriptions
I spent years leading Medicare sales teams. Now I take the system apart and explain it in plain English, one person at a time.
737-201-2997Call or text. No cost to you, ever.
- AGENT
- J. ZURMELY
- NPN
- 8448182
- LICENSED
- TEXAS
SHEET 01Bill of materials
What Medicare is made of
Medicare is a set of parts that bolt together. Most confusion comes from not knowing which part does what. Here is the whole system on one sheet, with 2026 numbers.
| Part | What it does | 2026 spec |
|---|---|---|
| Part A | Hospital stays, skilled nursing after a hospital stay, hospice.Premium-free for most people with 10 years of work history. | $1,736deductible per benefit period |
| Part B | Doctor visits, outpatient care, lab work, preventive care, medical equipment.After the deductible, you generally pay 20% with no yearly cap. | $202.90/mostandard premium · $283 deductible |
| Part C | Medicare Advantage. A private plan that replaces A and B, usually adds drug coverage and extras like dental and vision, and caps what you pay out of pocket.Works through a network. Your doctors matter here. | Varies by plandepends on your county and plan |
| Part D | Prescription drug coverage, as a standalone plan or built into Part C.Each plan has its own drug list. Your prescriptions matter here. | $2,100yearly out-of-pocket cap on covered drugs |
| Medigap | Medicare Supplement. Pairs with A and B to cover the 20% and other gaps. Any doctor that takes Medicare, nationwide.Needs a separate Part D plan for drugs. | Varies by age, plan letterbest pricing during your Medigap open enrollment |
Figures from CMS for 2026. Higher incomes pay more for Parts B and D (IRMAA).
SHEET 02Enrollment calculator
Turning 65? Get your dates
Your Initial Enrollment Period is a 7-month window built around your 65th birthday. Miss it and you can owe a penalty for life. Enter your birthday to see your exact window.
Example date shown. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
Window opens
Window closes
Earliest coverage start
Medigap open enrollment
Assumes you sign up for Part B in the months before your eligibility month. Still working with employer coverage? Different rules apply, so call me before you decide.
SHEET 03Fine print decoder
What the fine print means
The words on a plan summary, translated into what they cost you.
Deductible
In plain English
What you pay first, before the plan starts paying its share.
Copay vs. coinsurance
In plain English
A copay is a flat amount, like $20 a visit. Coinsurance is a percentage, like 20% of the bill. A percentage of a big bill is a big number.
Maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP)
In plain English
The most you pay in a year for covered medical care on a Medicare Advantage plan. After that, the plan pays 100%. Original Medicare alone has no cap.
HMO vs. PPO
In plain English
HMO: stay in network and usually get referrals. PPO: you can go out of network, but it costs more. Either way, check your doctors before you enroll.
Formulary
In plain English
The plan's list of covered drugs, sorted into price tiers. The same pill can cost very different amounts on two plans.
Extra Help
In plain English
A federal program that lowers drug costs for people with limited income and savings. Many people qualify and never apply.
IRMAA
In plain English
A surcharge on Part B and Part D premiums for higher incomes, based on your tax return from two years ago. It can be appealed after a life change like retirement.
Late enrollment penalty
In plain English
Sign up for Part B or Part D late without other qualifying coverage, and your premium goes up permanently.
SHEET 04Process
How we work together
Talk
A short call or a sit-down in Austin. I learn your situation, your budget, and what matters to you.
Check
I run your doctors and prescriptions against the plans I represent, so the numbers are yours, not a brochure's.
Choose
I lay out the trade-offs side by side. You decide. If you enroll, I stay your point of contact every year after.
My help costs you nothing. Plan prices are set by the carriers and are the same whether you use an agent or not.
SHEET 05About the engineer
Hi, I'm Jace
I am an engineer by education, which mostly taught me one thing: every complicated system is just simple parts connected in a particular way. Medicare is no different.
I spent the last 8 years working in the Medicare industry with a national online insurance broker, where I led the teams helping thousands of people choose coverage every enrollment season.
Now I do that work myself, one conversation at a time, right here in Austin.
- LicenseTexas health insurance agent
- NPN8448182
- ExperienceFormer Director of Medicare Sales
- ServingAustin and all of Texas
SHEET 06Contact
Book a free review
Tell me the best way to reach you. I'll get back to you within one business day.
Call or text
737-201-2997
jace.zurmely@activateinsuranceservices.com
Based in
Austin, Texas