Medicare Advantage Plans are health plan
options that are part of the Medicare program. If you join one of these plans,
you generally get all your Medicare-covered health care through that plan. This
coverage can include prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans
include:
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Medicare Health Maintenance Organization (HMOs)
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Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
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Private Fee-for-Service Plans
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Medicare Special Needs Plans
When you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you use the health insurance card
that you get from the plan for your health care. In most of these plans,
generally there are extra benefits and lower copayments than in the Original
Medicare Plan. However, you may have to see doctors that belong to the plan or
go to certain hospitals to get services.
To join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B.
You will have to pay your monthly Medicare Part B premium to Medicare. In
addition, you might have to pay a monthly premium to your Medicare Advantage
Plan for the extra benefits that they offer.
If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, your Medigap policy won’t work. This
means it won’t pay any deductibles, copayments, or other cost-sharing under
your Medicare Health Plan. Therefore, you may want to drop your Medigap policy
if you join a Medicare Advantage Plan. However, you have a legal right to keep
the Medigap policy.
To compare Medicare Advantage Plans, go to the Medicare
Options Compare.