What is Medicare Advantage?

 

Medicare Advantage Plans, technically "Medicare Part C" are insurance plans that work "instead of" Original Medicare.

Very simply put, it works as follows. Medicare pays insurance companies to "manage" your health care. Medicare Advantage plans, by law must offer at least the same level of benefits as Original Medicare. Many times, these plans offer benefits, above and beyond that offered by Medicare alone.

For example, many Medicare Advantage plans offer limited vision benefits, and preventative health benefits, like wellness programs.

Many of these plans also combine health insurance (that is the Medicare Advantage part) and prescription drug coverage (Part D) into one plan. Whether you go to your doctor or the pharmacy, you show them the same member's card.

There are different types of Medicare Advantage plans, including HMO's (more restrictive networks), PPO's (less restrictive networks) and Private Fee for Service Plans (not networks, but not accepted universally).

Most online insurance brokerages that sell Medicare Supplement insurance (which works "alongside" of Medicare), do not offer Advantage plans at all.

In fact, many companies argue that Medicare Advantage plans are never in your best interest. We do not agree. It is true that Medicare Advantage plans are more time consuming for us (there are strict regulations about marketing and certifications). However, we have found that for many of our clients, particularly those who simply cannot afford a Medicare Supplement, do benefit from a Medicare Advantage plan.

We believe very strongly that if you are able to afford a Medicare Supplement, it is usually in your best interest. A Medicare Supplement gives you ultimate freedom and very predictable health care costs.

If you absolutely cannot afford a Medicare Supplement policy, it may be in your best interest to consider a Medicare Advantage Plan. The only way for us to know if this might be the case is if you call one of our trusted and certified agents and allow us to review your particular situation.

We can help you determine which plans are available in your area, and which plans might be a good fit for your situation.

 

Call today to learn more. Call 1-877-7-MEDIGAP.

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