Get It Right: Medicare & Social Security Unlocked
Our founder's plain-English guide to the two decisions people get wrong most often — written to be read at your kitchen table, not decoded.
Two systems that were meant to be understood together
Most guides treat Medicare and Social Security as separate puzzles. In reality they're deeply connected — when you claim Social Security affects your Medicare premiums, your taxes, and what your spouse inherits. Get It Right walks you through both at once, the way they actually work in your life.
Written by Mere Benefits founder Kate Spilsbury — a Registered Social Security Analyst® (RSSA®) and Certified Medicare Insurance Planner (CMIP®) — it demystifies the decisions most people get wrong: enrollment timing, Social Security coordination, and the costly mistakes that are easy to avoid once someone shows you where they hide.
Available now on Amazon in paperback & Kindle.
What you'll learn
Enrollment timing
The windows that matter and the penalties that follow you for life if you miss them.
Social Security coordination
How your claiming age quietly changes your Medicare premiums, taxes, and survivor benefits.
Advantage vs. Supplement
The fork in the road most people take without understanding the trade-offs.
IRMAA & high-income surcharges
Why a one-time income spike can raise your premiums two years later — and how to plan for it.
Avoiding costly mistakes
The handful of errors that cost retirees the most — and how to sidestep every one.
Making confident choices
A clear framework for deciding what actually fits your health, budget, and family.
The Medicare & Social Security Unlocked Roadmap
Included with your book purchase — a step-by-step roadmap tailored to where you are right now.
Turning 62: Early Social Security Prep
Create your mySocialSecurity account, understand how early claiming affects your lifetime income, explore spousal benefits, and start thinking ahead for Medicare.
Turning 65: Medicare & Social Security Coordination
Know when and how to apply for Parts A & B, avoid late enrollment penalties, compare your coverage options, and decide whether to claim Social Security now or wait.
Working Past 65: Smart Planning
Confirm your employer plan counts as creditable coverage, understand Special Enrollment Periods, and plan the right time to transition — without leaving money on the table.
Kate Spilsbury
Kate Spilsbury is the founder of Mere Benefits and one of Northeast Florida's most trusted voices in Medicare and Social Security planning. With nearly two decades of experience and thousands of clients served, Kate has built a reputation for making complex topics genuinely approachable.
As a Registered Social Security Analyst® (RSSA®) and Certified Medicare Insurance Planner® (CMIP®), Kate brings a rare combination of credentials that lets her see the full picture of your retirement healthcare and income — not just one piece of it.
She wrote Get It Right because she was tired of watching people make costly, avoidable mistakes simply because they didn't have the right information at the right time. This book is that information.
There's a lot of noise out there when it comes to Medicare and Social Security. My goal is to cut through that and give you real help, from real people who care.Order Your Copy on Amazon
— Kate Spilsbury, RSSA®, CMIP®
Get your free bonus tools
The book points you to powerful resources designed to help you put everything into action.
Your Future Unlocked Starter Kit
The age-by-age action guide that shows you exactly what to do — and when — based on where you are today.
Request the kitWant to see it in action?
Watch the free Medicare & Social Security webinar — Kate teaching the book's framework on video.
Watch the webinarMedicare forms & resources
The forms, contacts, and official resources the book references — collected in one place.
Browse resourcesWant the personalized version?
A book is a great start. For a plan built around your exact doctors, medications, income, and timeline, a free conversation with Kate goes further than any chapter.
- No cost to you
- RSSA® · CMIP®
- No pressure, ever