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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 12, 2026 Page 23 Sa Sa a Say y Senior enior Sen by Jim Miller Still Working at 65? Here’s How to Handle Medicare Dear Savvy Senior, My wife and I are approaching 65, but I’m still working and have good health coverage through my employer. Do we need to enroll in Medicare at this point? — Almost 65 Dear Almost, If you or your spouse is still working past age 65 and have health insurance through your job, you may be able to delay enrolling in Medicare without a late enrollment penalty. However, the rules depend largely on the size of your employer. First, a quick refresher: Remember that original Medicare has two parts. Part A, which covers hospital care and is premium-free for most people. And Part B, which covers doctor visits, lab tests, and outpatient care and has a monthly premium of $202.90 in 2026. Higher-income individuals (over $109,000) and couples (over $218,000) pay more. If you’re already receiving Social Security, you’ll automatically be enrolled in Parts A and B when you turn 65, and your Medicare card will arrive in the mail. It will include instructions on how to return it if you have employer coverage that allows you to delay Part B. If you’re still working Start by talking with your benefits manager or HR department to understand how your employer insurance works with Medicare. In most cases, it makes sense to enroll in Part A since it’s free. However, if you contribute to a Health Savings Account, enrolling in Part A will stop those contributions. Whether you should enroll in Part B usually depends on your employer’s size. Small employer If your employer has fewer than 20 employees, Medicare becomes your primary insurance. In this case, you should enroll in Part B during your Initial Enrollment Period, which lasts seven months: the three months before your 65th birthday, your birthday month, and the three months after. If you aren’t receiving Social Security, you’ll need to apply for Medicare. You can do this online at ssa.gov/medicare/sign-up, by phone at 800-772-1213, or in person at your local Social Security offi ce. If you miss your Initial Enrollment Period, you’ll need to wait for the General Enrollment Period, which runs January 1 through March 31. Coverage begins the fi rst day of the month after you enroll, but a 10 percent penalty is added to your Part B premium for each full year you waited. Signing up on time helps you avoid both coverage gaps and added costs. Large employer If your employer has 20 or more employees, your group health plan remains your primary insurance while you’re actively working. In this case, you generally don’t need to enroll in Part B at 65 if your coverage is adequate. If you do enroll, Medicare will serve as secondary coverage. Once your employment or employer coverage ends, you’ll have an eight-month Special Enrollment Period to sign up for Part B without penalty. Check drug coverage You should also review your prescription drug coverage. Ask your benefi ts manager if your employer’s plan is considered “creditable.” If it is, you don’t need to enroll in a Medicare Part D plan. If it isn’t, you should sign up for Part D during your Initial Enrollment Period to avoid a penalty – typically 1 percent of the national average premium for each month you delay. You can compare Part D plans at medicare.gov/plan-compare. Need help? For free guidance, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program at 877-8392675 or shiphelp.org. You can also call the Medicare Rights Center helpline at 800-3334114. Navigating Medicare while you’re still working can be confusing, but a quick check with your employer and a clear understanding of the rules can help you avoid costly mistakes. Taking the time to get it right now will ensure you have the coverage you need, without unnecessary penalties down the road. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. nr ior OBITUARY Edward Poste A li felong fix tur e of Everett , passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026, at 9:20 a.m. He was surrounded completely by the massive family he spent an entire lifetime building. Born in Everett to the late Albert and Mary (Devito) Poste, Ed was a proud graduate of EHS, Class of 1962. He worked as a dedicated printer for Acme Printing Company throughout his career until his retirement. To the rest of the world, he was a pillar of the community, but to his family, he was everything. He was the fi rst brick to the foundation of our family, and the absolute glue to so many of our lives. Ed built a beautiful legacy that grew to include his eight children: Steven, Eddie, Johnny, Sharon, Denise, Tanya, Dawn, and Maggie. Alongside his beloved wife, Lois, his legacy continues to live on through them, as well as his 27 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He was a deeply loyal brother to Mary Ann O’Malley, Albert Poste, Ginny Albrecht, and the late Louis and Dennis Poste. The man was just so full of boundless life, energy, and laughter. He was a true hero to everyone who looked up to him, a guy we honestly thought was going to outlive us all. Ed was always right there in the front row for every single family milestone, ready for the cake and celebrating our wins; but just as importantly, he was the guy who would sit right beside you and help carry you through the losses. He lived life with an unforgettable energy that lit up every wedding dance fl oor, and he was always ready with a legendary dad joke to make the room groan or a cheerful “okie dokie.” Whether casting a fi shing line, bowling, or playing cornhole, he taught everyone around him what it truly means to be yourself and to love unconditionally. He was a passionate fan of all Boston sports, especially his beloved Red Sox. Just like he did with his family, he stuck by his teams through every single high and low, fi ercely loyal through the good years and the bad. He was the heart of every holiday and family gathering, making sure everyone was fed and taken care of; if there was a cold Miller Lite around and a grill anywhere nearby, he would just quietly take over grill duties without anybody even asking. He was always there, loving our family like no other. To his children, Ed wasn’t just a parent; he was their absolute anchor. There is no formula that can measure what a man like that means to his kids, but they felt it in every single moment. He gave them a foundation of unconditional love, a precise path forward, and a selfless heart that always put them first. He was unique, one of a kind, and entirely perfect in his own beautiful way. To them, he was the very defi nition of what it means to be caring, forgiving, and supportive. He was the life of the party, the funniest person they ever knew, and a true hero from their fi rst days to his very last. The beautiful thing about a man like Ed is that his spirit didn’t stop with his eight children. You can see his exact blueprint trickling down through the entire family tree, echoing in the laughter of his 27 grandchildren and the smiles of his 17 great-grandchildren. He didn’t just build a family; he started a Home of the Week Welcome Home to 12 Longwood Avenue Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth Real Estate Formerly Carpenito Real Estate SAUGUS - 1st AD - 1st AD - Conveniently located 7 room Cape Cod style home featuring 4 bedrooms, living room open to dining room, 2 full baths, convenient 1st floor laundry hookup, 20 year old second floor addition offering full bath with stand-up shower, hardwood flooring, 2 bedrooms and sitting area, front enclosed sunroom, one car garage under, side street located just outside of Saugus Center. Quick access to Route I, shopping and all major highways. Offered at $549,900 (781) 233-7300 335 Central St. Saugus commonmoves.com ©2024 BHH Affiliates, LLC, An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity. chain reaction of unconditional love, and they are the proof that everything he pushed his family to be is locked in forever. Visitation was held on Thursday, June 11, at Rocco Salvatore & Sons Funeral Home. Please consider making a donation in his honor to Cornhole for Cancer, a cause incredibly close to Ed’s heart that he proudly supported and played in every single year. Contributions can be made directly to the family’s chosen tournament fund athttps://www.gofundme.com/f/dv3ey-cornholefor-cancer or at the tournament this weekend.

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