Medicare Map
Choose your Medicare insurance plan path.
Visualize your Medicare coverage path.
View my Medicare Plan Map to simplify your Medicare insurance plan choices. This Medicare Map clearly separates the two available Medicare plan paths you have the option of choosing to further insure yourself with Medicare and Medicare insurance plans. On the left, you have Original Medicare with the addition of a Medicare Supplement Plan & a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. On the right, you have the Medicare Advantage Plan route, which you sign over your Original Medicare to to provide you “an alternative” way to cover your Medicare medical and prescription needs.
Keep Original Medicare or Sign Over Your Medicare...
How to keep Original Medicare? Well, do nothing once you enroll in Medicare and you have Original Medicare Part A and B as your primary insurance. You may choose to add a Medicare Supplement Plan (Medigap policy) that acts as a secondary policy– following Medicare and picking up costs that Part A and Part B do not cover. In addition, you may add a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan, also known as Part D to cover your medications. Or…Go Medicare Advantage and sign over your Medicare. It’s up to you!
When you sign over Medicare, you are allowing the Medicare Advantage Plan to now be your primary Medicare insurance. This plan is “bundled” plan and not “customizable”. You are not technically adding to your Medicare with a Medicare Advantage Plan. It is a completely different path than keeping Medicare as your primary insurance. The “alternative” Medicare Advantage Plan will likely include a Part D Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. These plans are most often networked as HMO plans. Medicare Advantage Plans are typically less expensive from a monthly premium standpoint, and therefore, may have more restrictions cost cutting measures than keeping Original Medicare (Part A & B) as your primary insurance.For example, a Medicare Advantage Plan HMO network that requires referrals and authorized access to see certain specialists.
Medicare and Medicare Supplement Plans do not require referrals. Medicare and a Medicare Supplement Plan is going to give you more access to physicians when compared to Medicare Advantage Plans. See the visual map below or for a more “fun” and simplified version see my Medicare Roadmap.
Medicare Map
Medicare Plan Map - stay left or go right...
Remember these keys points when reviewing the Medicare Map. On the left side on the Medicare Plan Map, you are keeping your Original Medicare as it was originally created– primary hospital (A) and medical (B) coverage. The Medicare Supplement Plan then follows Medicare as your secondary insurance plan. It picks up costs that Original Medicare doesn’t pick up. Such as deductibles, and co-insurance (i.e. 20%).
You can also add a stand-alone Medicare Prescription Drug Plan. This is commonly referred to as a Part D plan. Add this drug coverage while keeping Medicare primary and your Medicare Supplement Plan as the secondary. Hence, your ability to “customize” your coverage. Each of these plans are separate from the other. Mix and match plans from different insurance companies to find the best coverage for your needs.
"Customized or bundled, you choose!"
On the other hand, you have the Medicare Advantage Plan product on the right side of the Medicare Plan Map. You are in fact signing this over to a private insurance company’s designed Medicare insurance plan. Thus, providing you with your Medicare coverage. This means Medicare is no longer primary, the Medicare Advantage Plan is now primary, thus, subjecting you to applicable networks, such as an HMO Medicare Advantage Plan (in-network/out-of-network).
Medicare Advantage Plans may give you the option of adding vision, dental, or hearing coverage for free or at an additional cost (more likely they will charge you). This is also true with Medicare and the customized route with a Medicare Supplement Plan. You may also add ancillary products, such as hearing, dental, and vision plans. It’s up to you. Many times, these additional products are not what they seem. I can help you review them to see if they are worth the additional monthly premium.
Contact my office or Request Help. We can assist you when reviewing this map and to provide you with Medicare insurance plan options.
Here is a link to Medicare.gov if you would like to view their way of explaining the medicare plan options. Although, I feel my Medicare Map and Medicare Roadmap are much clearer and simple to follow, I’d like to be as transparent as possible. Getting started with Medicare -Medicare.gov.
