Medicare Plans

Your Medicare choices

Original Medicare — Part A for hospital care and Part B for medical care — is run by the federal government. Most people then add coverage to help with what Original Medicare does not pay:

• Medicare Advantage (Part C) plans are offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare. They provide your Part A and Part B benefits, usually include drug coverage, and may offer extras such as dental, vision or hearing benefits.
• Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policies work alongside Original Medicare and help pay costs like deductibles and coinsurance.
• Part D prescription drug plans add drug coverage for people with Original Medicare, whether or not they also have a Supplement.

Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement?

This is the biggest decision most people make. In broad terms:

• Medicare Advantage plans often have low monthly premiums, but you pay copays as you use services. Most plans use provider networks and may require referrals or approval for some care. Every plan has a yearly limit on what you pay for covered services.
• Medicare Supplement policies have a monthly premium, but they can make your costs more predictable, and you can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare — no network and no referrals.

Neither path is right for everyone. Your health, your doctors, how often you travel and your budget all matter. Plan availability and costs vary by area and change each year.

Getting the timing right

Medicare has deadlines, and missing them can mean late penalties or gaps in coverage. Your first chance to enroll is your seven-month Initial Enrollment Period around your 65th birthday. Each year, the Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 to December 7 lets you review and change plans for the coming year.

Your right to buy any Medicare Supplement without health questions is strongest during your six-month Medigap Open Enrollment Period, which begins when you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. Our Medicare 101 guide explains every enrollment period in detail.

How we help

We meet with you — in person, by phone or by video — and start with what matters to you: your doctors, your prescriptions, your budget and how you like to get care. Then we compare plans from the companies we represent side by side, explain the trade-offs in plain English, and help you enroll. Every fall, plans can change their premiums, networks and drug lists, so we are glad to review your coverage with you during Annual Enrollment.

Things to consider

• Check every doctor and prescription against a plan before you enroll — and again every year.
• Read your Annual Notice of Change. It arrives each fall and explains what is changing in your plan for January.
• Don’t drop employer or retiree coverage until you understand how it works with Medicare.
• Be careful with unexpected calls. Medicare itself will not call you to sell you a plan.