Medicare Advantage

Medicare Advantage Plans (also known as Medicare Part C and MAP Plans) are not medicare insurance supplements MAP plans are a type of Medicare approved healthcare. These plans provide additional coverage options that are not included with Medicare Part A(Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical services).

Medicare Advantage Coverage

These plans are popular for their additional benefits that are not covered under Part A and Part B. Additional benefits include:

Dental Coverage
Health and Welfare programs
Hearing and Vision
Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage (also known as Part D).

This is just a partial list of additional MAP coverage options. There are many different types of MAP plans with specific coverage options.

Is It Right For Me?

Medicare Advantage Plans makes sense for people that are concerned with extending their health care coverage for a marginal cost. These plans can provide excellent insurance coverage for situations that are not covered by the original government Medicare sponsored program (Also known as Part A and Part B).

However, if you are worried about the expensive deductibles and co-payments for future medical services then you need to consider Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Commonly referred to as a Medigap policy). Medicare Part A and Part B do not offer coverage for deductibles and co-payments. Most MAP plans also require you to pay for deductibles and co-payments.

Pricing And Fees

With a MAP plan you will still pay the Medicare part B premium. In addition you have to pay a monthly premium to your MAP provider for the additional benefits covered by your plan. Depending on where you live some MAP plans have a $0 premium plan and certain insurance companies will even reimburse you for your Part B premiums.

Important Note

Please understand that a Medigap policy will not pay for the co-payments and deductibles associated with Medicare Part C. You are also not allowed to buy a Medigap policy if you choose a MAP.

Are You Eligible?

To be eligible for Medicare Part C

You must have Part A and Part B
You typically can’t have permanent kidney failure that will eventually require dialysis. There can be exceptions to this rule in certain cases.
Usually health questions are not asked during enrollment and acceptance is guaranteed.
Insurance rates should not vary by individuals living in the same area.

If your primary concern is extending your health care options than a Medicare Advantage Plan is an option that you should consider. But don’t forget that co-payments and deductibles are seldom covered through these types of plans.

Medigap and Medicare insurance supplements are designed to provide similar coverage options as a MAP plan with co-payment and deductible protection.

Don't Get Frustrated

There is a great deal of Medicare information on the web. Many sources are hard to understand and we know that can be frustrating to you. We hope Life-And-Car-Insurance.com has helped your understand but also check out the Kaiser Family Foundation's information to further your knowledge base.

Click on Medicare Advantage to view the Foundation's helpful summary.

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