# Senior Benefits Hub — Triangle Life and Health®

Last updated: 2026-10-19

> Independent insurance agency in Raleigh, North Carolina helping families navigate Medicare, ACA health insurance, and life insurance across 15 states. Services are free to consumers; we are compensated by the carriers.

## About

- [About Senior Benefits Hub](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/about/): Michael Cubell, licensed insurance agent since 2013. AHIP-certified (Medicare Advantage), FFM-certified (ACA Marketplace), AML-certified (life insurance). Veteran-owned.
- [Contact us](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/contact-us/): Phone (919) 944-8443, email mike@trianglelifeandhealth.com, based in Raleigh, NC.
- Licensed in North Carolina, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
- Independent agent, not captive to one carrier. Carriers include UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Humana, Alignment Health Plan and Blue Cross NC.

## Medicare

- [Medicare overview](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare/): How the parts of Medicare fit together and how to choose coverage.
- [Medicare Advantage (Part C)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-advantage/): Plan comparisons, networks and extra benefits.
- [Medicare Supplement (Medigap)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-supplement/): Plan G, Plan N and other Medigap comparisons.
- [Medicare Part D](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-part-d/): Prescription drug plan analysis.

## Health and life insurance

- [ACA health insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/aca-health-insurance/): Marketplace plan comparisons and subsidy eligibility.
- [Life insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/life-insurance/): Coverage needs analysis and quotes.
- [Term life insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/term-life-insurance/): Level term quotes and comparisons.
- [Final expense life insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/final-expense-life-insurance/): Burial and final expense coverage.

## Guides

- [Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/medicare-advantage-vs-medicare-supplement/): Side-by-side comparison of the two main Medicare paths.
- [Which Medigap plan is right for me](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/which-medigap-plan-is-right-for-me/): How to choose a Medigap plan letter.
- [Plan G vs. Plan N](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/medicare-supplement-plan-g-vs-plan-n/): Cost and coverage differences.
- [When to enroll in Medicare](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/when-to-enroll-in-medicare/): Initial, annual and special enrollment periods.
- [Turning 65 Medicare checklist](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/turning-65-medicare-checklist/): Step-by-step timeline.
- [Medicare and employer insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/medicare-and-employer-insurance/): Coordinating Medicare with group coverage.
- [Final expense vs. term life](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/final-expense-vs-term-life/): Which product fits which situation.
- [ACA vs. employer health insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/guides/aca-vs-employer-health-insurance/): How to compare the two.

## Supplemental coverage (plain-English examples with the math shown)

- [Supplemental coverage overview](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/): How hospital indemnity, dental & vision, home health care, critical illness/cancer and accident plans work, which are available at 65+ vs under 65, and step-by-step examples.
- [Hospital indemnity insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/hospital-indemnity/): Set cash amounts for hospital stays, ER visits and ambulance rides, paid in addition to other coverage.
- [Dental and vision insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/dental-vision-coverage/): How deductibles, coinsurance and caps work on a crown and on eyeglasses.
- [Home health care insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/home-health-care-coverage/): Cash per nurse, therapy and aide visit, and adult day care, once a doctor certifies help is needed.
- [Critical illness and cancer insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/critical-illness-cancer-coverage/): Specified disease and cancer lump-sum examples.
- [Accident insurance](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/accident-insurance/): How an accident plan pays after an injury.
- [Example: 28-year-old on Medicare Advantage because of a disability](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/supplemental-coverage/john-medicare-advantage-example/): What a stroke cost under a Medicare Advantage plan and what a 3-plan backup package paid, with benefit levels and sample premiums compared.

## Medicare answers

- [Medicare Annual Notice of Change (ANOC): What to Check Before December 7](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-annual-notice-of-change-what-to-check/): What the Annual Notice of Change is (plans must send it by September 30), a checklist of what to compare, and what to do if a plan is not renewing.
- [Medicare Enrollment Date Calculator](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-enrollment-date-calculator/): Enter a date of birth to see the 7-month Initial Enrollment Period, when coverage would start, the 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment window, and the 8-month Part B window after employer coverage ends.
- [How the 2026 Medicare Part D $2,100 Out-of-Pocket Cap Works](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-part-d-out-of-pocket-cap-2026/): What counts toward the $2,100 Part D cap in 2026, what does not, and the $2,400 cap for 2027.
- [IRMAA 2026: Medicare Income Brackets, Costs, and How to Appeal](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/irmaa-2026-brackets/): 2026 IRMAA income brackets for Part B and Part D, how they are set from your 2024 tax return, and how to appeal with Form SSA-44.
- [Medicare Part D Late Enrollment Penalty: How It's Calculated (2026)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-part-d-late-enrollment-penalty/): How the Part D late enrollment penalty is calculated (1% of the national base premium per month without creditable coverage) and how to avoid it.
- [Medicare Part B Late Enrollment Penalty: How It Works and How to Avoid It](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-part-b-late-enrollment-penalty/): How the Part B late enrollment penalty works (10% per full 12-month period), when it does not apply, and how the Special Enrollment Period helps.
- [Medicare Special Enrollment Periods (SEPs): When You Can Change Plans Outside AEP](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/medicare-special-enrollment-periods/): Common Medicare Special Enrollment Periods: losing employer coverage, moving, Extra Help, 5-star plans and more.
- [Does Medicare Cover Cataract Surgery? (2026)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/does-medicare-cover-cataract-surgery/): Part B covers medically necessary cataract surgery and one pair of glasses or contacts after surgery with an intraocular lens.
- [Does Medicare Cover Dental? What's Covered and Your Options (2026)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/does-medicare-cover-dental/): Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care; the limited exceptions and other ways to get dental coverage.
- [Does Medicare Cover Hearing Aids? (2026)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/does-medicare-cover-hearing-aids/): Original Medicare does not cover hearing aids or fitting exams; Part B covers diagnostic hearing exams when a doctor orders them.
- [Does Medicare Cover Ambulance Rides? (2026)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/does-medicare-cover-ambulance/): When Part B covers emergency and non-emergency ambulance rides, what you pay, and what an ABN means.
- [Does Medicare Cover Hospice Care? What Families Should Know (2026)](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/does-medicare-cover-hospice/): Part A hospice benefit: who qualifies, what is covered, and the $0 / up-to-$5 per prescription / 5% respite cost-sharing.

## Medicare costs and dates — 2026 (official CMS figures)

Source: CMS *Medicare & You 2026* (product no. 10050) and *2026 Medicare Costs* (product no. 11579), https://www.medicare.gov. These are the government amounts for calendar year 2026 and are not plan-specific.

- Part B standard monthly premium: $202.90; Part B annual deductible: $283, then 20% coinsurance.
- Part A inpatient hospital deductible: $1,736 per benefit period (days 61–90 $434/day; lifetime reserve days $868/day).
- Skilled nursing facility: $0 for days 1–20, $217/day for days 21–100.
- Part D deductible: up to $615 (a CMS maximum, not a fixed amount — many plans charge less or $0).
- Part D out-of-pocket cap: $2,100 for the year, after which covered drugs cost $0 for the rest of the year.
- Insulin: $35 per month per covered insulin, with no deductible applied.
- Part B and Part D IRMAA start above $109,000 individual / $218,000 joint, based on the 2024 tax return.
- 2027 update: CMS has announced the 2027 Part D out-of-pocket cap ($2,400) and maximum deductible ($700). The 2027 Part B premium, deductible and IRMAA brackets have not been released yet (CMS typically announces them in the fall); this file will be updated when they are.

## Enrollment periods

- Medicare Annual Enrollment Period (AEP): October 15 – December 7; changes take effect January 1.
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31, for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Initial Enrollment Period: the 7 months around turning 65 — 3 months before, the birthday month, 3 months after.
- General Enrollment Period: January 1 – March 31 for people who missed their Initial Enrollment Period.
- ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment: November 1 – January 15, with Special Enrollment Periods for qualifying life events.
- Medigap: the 6-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period starts when Part B begins. North Carolina does not have a Medigap birthday rule.

## Optional

- [Blog](https://seniorbenefitshub.com/blog/): Ongoing articles on Medicare, health and life insurance.