Medicare Advantage
The Advantage: Medicare Part C
All-in-one plans from private insurance companies that combine Parts A and B, and often D.
What is Medicare Advantage?
Part C of Medicare is also called Medicare Advantage. It's important to understand that these plans are not the same as a Medicare Supplement or Medigap plan. These plans, which are offered by private insurance companies, combine your Part A (hospital) and Part B (doctors and outpatient services) as well as Part D (prescription drugs) into one convenient plan. Please note that there are also Advantage plans that do not have the Part D drug component. These are referred to as MA-Only plans.
What's the “advantage”?
The "advantage" is that these plans cover all the same services as Original Medicare but often include routine vision care, dental, chiropractic and routine foot care as well as other services. You may also hear them referred to as or plans. These are simply acronyms for Medicare Advantage (MA) and Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans.
Types of Advantage plans
plans that have a network of doctors, hospitals and pharmacies
plans that have in- and out-of-network benefits
designed for individuals with chronic conditions, those who are also eligible for Medicaid benefits, and those in care facilities
Don't worry if this seems confusing, we're here to help you understand all of your Medicare plan choices so you can make an educated decision about what works best for you.
Plans depend on where you live
Advantage plans are based on geography. Medicare calls this a "service area." This means that you can only have an Advantage plan that is offered in the county that you live in.
Questions to ask when choosing
When we meet with you, we will take these factors and more into consideration, so you choose the plan that works for you.
Review every fall
Advantage plans are subject to change year-over-year so it's important that you do some shopping each fall during the Annual Enrollment Period () to ensure that any plan changes for the following year still meet your needs.
Enrollment periods
