Medicare Advantage
Private plans that bundle hospital and medical coverage, with extras like dental or vision added on. Networks and referrals shape how you use them.
- Drug coverage is usually built in
- Doctor networks apply
- Costs can change each year
Make sense of your Medicare options
Original Medicare, Advantage plans, Medigap, drug coverage. Each one sounds official and none of them explains itself. Here you can see what each covers and where it fits your life.
Compare Your OptionsPart A and Part B
Advantage plans
Drug coverage
Three shapes Medicare coverage can take
Most people land on one of these paths. Here is what each one asks of you.
Medicare Supplement
Adds to Original Medicare by paying many of the costs it leaves behind, so what you owe after a hospital stay or a specialist visit stays steadier.
- Any doctor who takes Medicare
- Lettered plans with set benefits
- A separate drug plan is needed
Prescription Drug Coverage
Stand-alone plans for the medicine you take. The list of covered drugs and your pharmacy matter far more than the name on the front of the booklet.
- Check the drug list first
- Pharmacy choice affects price
- Waiting too long adds a penalty
What you get from starting here
A few reasons people begin their Medicare homework on this site.
Plain answers
I explain every Medicare term the way a good neighbour would put it.
Timing you can plan around
I map out your enrollment windows early so no date sneaks up on you.
Clear choices before you commit to a plan
Side-by-side comparisons
Costs, networks, and coverage lined up so the differences stand out.
Help with the next step
Once you have picked a plan, I help you enroll in it without a fuss.
Medicare comes in four parts
Every plan you will ever look at is built from these pieces.
The letters get thrown around as if everyone already knows them. Here is what each part actually pays for, one line apiece.
A
Hospital coverage
Hospital stays, skilled nursing after a hospital visit, hospice and home health visits.
B
Medical coverage
Doctor visits, outpatient care, lab tests, preventive screenings and medical equipment.
C
Medicare Advantage
A private plan that stands in for A and B, usually with drug coverage and a few extras.
D
Prescription drugs
Drug coverage bought as a stand-alone plan or bundled inside a Medicare Advantage plan.
Ready to see how the plans line up for you?
Request A ReviewWhat people tell me after they enroll
Notes from people who went through their options with me.
Questions that come up before people choose
Short answers to the things people ask me first.
Not always. If you have coverage through a current employer with 20 or more workers, you can often delay Part B without a penalty. Smaller employer plans usually expect Medicare to pay first, so check before you decide.
Advantage delivers Parts A and B through a private plan with its own network and rules. Medigap sits beside Original Medicare and pays some of what it leaves behind. You cannot hold both at the same time.
With Original Medicare and a Medigap plan, any doctor who accepts Medicare works. With an Advantage plan it depends on the network, so look up your doctor on that list before you sign anything.
Part B and Part D can carry a late penalty that stays on your premium for as long as you have the coverage. There are exceptions, so if you think you missed a date, ask before you assume the worst.
Every plan publishes a summary of benefits and a drug list. I go through those with you line by line, so the answer comes from the plan's own paperwork rather than a sales pitch.