What is Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage is an alternative way to receive Medicare benefits through a private plan. Plans must cover at least the same Part A and Part B services as Original Medicare (except hospice, which Original Medicare still covers), and many include Part D plus extra benefits such as dental, vision, or hearing.
Tradeoffs to understand
Plans typically use HMO or PPO networks, copays, prior approval, and a yearly maximum out-of-pocket for in-network Part A and B services. Extra benefits can be valuable, but they vary by plan and area and can change each year. How that compares with a Medicare Supplement (also called Medigap) is on Medicare Supplement vs Advantage. This page does not make that comparison.
Questions worth asking
Are your doctors and hospitals in-network? Are your medications on the The plan’s drug list. It says which prescriptions are covered and which cost tier they are on. at a cost you can manage? What is the maximum out-of-pocket? How does the plan handle referrals and prior approval? Do you travel? Have you read this year’s Annual Notice of Change?
When you can join or switch
Annual Enrollment is October 15–December 7. The dates and what you can change are on the 2027 Annual Enrollment page. If you are already in a Medicare Advantage plan, January through March is a different window. Which enrollment window am I in?.
CMS pages
Medicare publishes the rules and the plan types. Medicare Advantage and other health plans. Plan types. Compare HMO, PPO, PFFS, SNP, and MSA. Health plan costs. When and how to join.