Your health plan options

Medicare health plans are another way to get your

Part A (Hospital Insurance)
and
Part B (Medical Insurance)
 benefits instead of
Original Medicare
. There are several types of plans to choose from, including Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C). Learn about rules Medicare plans must follow when they contact you.

Medicare Advantage Plans

If you have Part A and Part B, you can join a Medicare Advantage Plan, sometimes called “Part C” or an “MA plan.” This type of Medicare health plan is offered by Medicare-approved private companies that must follow rules set by Medicare. Most Medicare Advantage Plans include

drug coverage (Part D)
.

Types of Medicare Advantage Plans:

Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)        Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)     Special Needs Plans (SNPs)

Medicare Medical Savings Accounts (MSAs)      Private Fee-for-Service Plans (PFFS)           Compare All Plan Types       

What else do I need to know about Medicare Advantage Plans?

Before joining a Medicare Advantage Plan
Talk to your employer, union, or other benefits administrator about their rules before you join a Medicare Advantage Plan. In some cases, joining a Medicare Advantage Plan might cause you to lose your employer or union coverage. If you drop or lose employer or union coverage for yourself, you may also lose coverage for your spouse and dependents. You may not be able to get this coverage back.

Who decides what plans are available in an area?

Insurance companies can decide if a plan will be available to everyone with Medicare in a state, or only in certain counties. Insurance companies may also offer more than one plan in an area, with different benefits and costs. Each year, insurance companies can decide to join or leave Medicare.

What if my plan stops participating in Medicare?

If a plan decides to stop participating in Medicare, you’ll have to join another Medicare health plan or return to Original Medicare.

What if I'm disenrolled from my plan?

A Medicare Advantage Plan can disenroll you for several reasons, like if you move outside the plan's service area, lose Medicare or Medicaid eligibility, join a drug plan (in some cases), or if the plan's contract with Medicare ends. In these situations, there's a grace period when you'll be eligible for a Special Enrollment Period. It's important to review your options at this time to make sure you continue to have the Medicare health and drug coverage you want.

Other Medicare health plans

Some types of Medicare health plans aren't Medicare Advantage Plans, but are still part of Medicare. The coverage they offer varies depending on the specific type of plan. Some of these plans include Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B coverage, but most only offer Part B coverage. Some also include Medicare drug coverage (Part D). These other types of health plans include:

  • Medicare Cost Plans
  • Demonstration/pilot programs
  • Program of All-inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE)

Explore Other Health Plans

 
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