Seven things to verify before a health crisis makes them urgent.

Look at your parent's insurance card. If it says Medicare Advantage (HMO or PPO), log into their plan portal and locate the annual maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) figure. On a standard Advantage plan, a serious illness — a stroke, a cancer diagnosis, a major surgery — can trigger thousands in copays before the plan pays 100%. Knowing the number before a crisis is the first step.

Find the exact date your parent enrolled in their current Medicare Advantage plan. If it has been less than 365 days, they are inside the federal Trial Right window. During this period, they can leave the plan and get guaranteed approval for a Medigap supplement — no health questions, regardless of any new diagnoses. This window closes at 12 months.

The Trial Right applies to the first time someone enrolls in Medicare Advantage. It does not reset with each new plan year.

About 16 states have laws allowing residents to switch Medigap plans around their birthday each year without a medical background check. If your parent lives in one of these states — California, Oregon, Nevada, Virginia, Indiana, and others — they may have an annual window to move to a better-priced plan. The Protect Your Rights tool on this site shows whether their state qualifies.

If your parent is ever hospitalized, call the nurse's station and ask directly: "Is my parent admitted as an inpatient, or are they under observation status?" Traditional Medicare only covers skilled nursing rehabilitation — up to 100 days — if the patient was officially admitted as an inpatient for at least three consecutive nights. Observation status, even if the stay looks identical, does not qualify. Ask early. The status can sometimes be changed while the patient is still in the hospital.

Download Form CMS-1696 (Appointment of Representative) from Medicare.gov. Have your parent sign it and submit it to Medicare. A standard financial Power of Attorney is frequently rejected by Medicare's phone systems due to HIPAA rules — CMS-1696 is the form Medicare actually recognizes. Filing it now, before any emergency, means you can contest denials, review claims, and speak to Medicare directly when it matters.

Form CMS-1696 is different from a healthcare proxy or durable power of attorney. You may need both.

Federal law now caps annual out-of-pocket prescription costs at $2,000. The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan — available through your parent's Part D provider — spreads that cost into equal monthly installments across the year instead of front-loading it. It requires opting in. Contact their Part D plan directly to enroll.

If your parent is past 65 and still employed, count the total number of employees at their company. If it's fewer than 20, Medicare becomes the primary payer at 65 — they must enroll in Part B immediately or face a permanent 10% premium penalty for every 12-month period they delay. Separately: if they contribute to a Health Savings Account (HSA), contributions must stop at least six months before enrolling in Medicare to avoid IRS penalties.

The employer size rule applies to the company where your parent works, not the insurance company.