Priority of sources
- Official annual handbooks. The latest editions of the Medicare & You handbook (CMS) and the TRICARE For Life Handbook (Defense Health Agency).
- Official government websites. Medicare.gov, TRICARE.mil, SSA.gov, CMS.gov, and VA.gov.
- Official government forms and notices. CMS-40B, CMS-L564, IRMAA determinations, Medicare Summary Notices, TFL EOBs.
- Independent educational explanation. Our own plain-English interpretation of the above — always distinguished from official text.
How we cite
Every educational page closes with an Official Government Resources block listing the primary sources behind it. Where a fact is unusually specific or recently changed, we name the source inline in the text.
What we do not cite as authoritative
- Forum posts, news headlines, or third-party blog posts.
- Carrier marketing materials.
- AI-generated content from any source — including our own assistant — without verification against an official document.
Currency
Premiums, deductibles, and copays change annually. We update affected pages as soon as new figures are published. When a dollar amount appears on a page, we identify the year it applies to.
Last reviewed: January 2026.