Medicare Advantage plans are health plan options (like an HMO or PPO) approved byMedicare and offered by private Insurance Companies. These plans are part of OriginalMedicare and are sometimes called "Part C"or "MA Plans". Medicare pays a fixed amount for your care every month to the Insurance company offering Medicare Advantage plans. These Insurance companies must follow rules set byMedicare.
Medicare Advantage plans provide your Medicare Coverage and usually yourPart D coverage. They are not Supplemental Insurance also known as Medigap.Not all Medicare Advantageplans work the same way, so find out the plans rules before joining.
Medicare Advantageplans provide all of your Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B coverage. This means they must cover at least all of the services that Medicare covers. However, Each Medicare Advantage plan can charge different out-of-pocket costs. These are usually copayments, coinsurance and deductibles. There are some plans in Ohio as low as $0 per month!
Medicare Advantage plans can only be joined or dropped during your Initial Enrollment Period ( the 6 months following the month you're first enrolled in Medicare Part B), Annual Enrollment Period ( October 15th- December 7th of each year) or Annual Dis-enrollment Period ( January 1st- February 14th of each year). You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
