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What Are Medicare Advantage Plans?

By Marilyn Katz

Republish: EasyPublish™
Published: 15Nov2011
Word count: 587
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If you are trying to figure out the best way to make use of valuable Medicare benefits, you need to learn about your options. These options include the original plan, supplements, drug coverage, and Medicare Advantage! Even though Medicare Advantage plans have been around for over a decade, a lot of people are still confused about how these new plans work,

Do you understand Medicare Advantage plans? These plans have provided a way for millions of Americans to reduce their health care and health plan costs. They have been around since the late 1990's. Yet many people are confused about them, and there is a lot of misinformation being spread around.

The government created these plans as a way for beneficiaries to get their health coverage from a private insurance company. This action was intended to give people more choices. In fact, the original name for these plans was Medicare Plus Choice. Some people also call them Part C plans.

So, you have a choice. You can decide to get your coverage from the orignal plan which includes Part A and Part B. You may also decide you want to purchase a supplement from a private insurer. A supplment covers some gaps in coverage from the original plan. As an alternative to this, you may decide to enroll in an Advantage plan. You should compare Medicare health plans, and your other choices, in order to make the right decision.

When you belong to an Advantage plan, you will get your coverage from the insurer. Instead of handing a doctor or hospital your Medicare card, you will show them your card from the private insurer. You do not lose your Medicare coverage though. In fact, you are free to dis-enroll and return to the older plan. You are also still protected by all of the laws, rules, and regulations of the Center For Medicaid and Medicare (CMS). CMS oversees Medicare in the US.

By law, these plans must provide a level of coverage that is equal to, or better than, the original plan. However, the coverage is not always the same. Even though these newer plans help millions of people save money on premiums and out of pocket costs, they do not work out the best for every person. Each beneficiary has their own unique health needs and situation. That is why it is important to understand how the plan will work under different situations.

Many MA plans have a network of medical service providers. Sometimes, you must use these network providers in order to get services covered. With some of the plans, you may choose to leave the network, but you may have to pay more for covered services. If you find that your regular doctors and hospitals on on the plan network, you will probably have no problems adjusting to this. If you would rather have more freedom to pick and choose doctors, you may not be happy with this type of restriction. This is actually quite similar to the way PPO or HMO plans work on regular health insurance policies.

Is an MA plan right for you? I do not have one perfect answer for every person. You must study the plans in your local area, consider how they work, and determine your own budget. That way, you can choose the right way to get your Medicare benefits!

We would like to help you compare Medicare health plans. This way, you will be able to figure out which is the best way to make use of your benefits. We can also provide you with Medicare supplement quotes.

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