Decoding health insurance options can be daunting for people age 65 and over. People qualify for Medicare at age 65 and are automatically signed up if they’re receiving Social Security payments, unless they take steps to opt out. Standard Medicare comes in two parts: A and B. Part A covers a portion of hospitalization expenses, and Part B applies to doctor bills and other medical expenses, such as lab tests and some preventive screenings.
But some seniors may find better value in Medicare Part C, or Medicare Advantage. Such plans are run by private insurance companies but regulated by the government, and they must offer coverage that’s comparable to original Medicare parts A and B. Most also include prescription drug coverage, which is an optional add-on called Part D for seniors who keep original Medicare.
[See: How to Pick a Health Insurance Plan.]
Some Medicare Advantage plans cost nothing more per month than original Medicare, while others come with a higher monthly premium. (Any additional premium is added to what you would otherwise pay for Medicare Part B — expected to be $134 per month for most beneficiaries in 2018, which for most people is automatically deducted from their Social Security checks.) Medicare Advantage plans are similar to health insurance policies you may have received through your employer or bought on your own through the individual insurance market, in that they have different monthly premiums, provider networks, copays, coinsurance and out-of-pocket limits. The trade-off for a lower premium (or none) could be higher copays or coinsurance.
Whether or not a Medicare Advantage plan costs more, it could be better or worse for you than original Medicare. Consumers have to carefully review the details of each plan and make a clear-eyed appraisal of their circumstances, including their health, budget and tolerance for financial risk.
[Read: Medicare Open Enrollment: What You Need to Know.]
You May Want to Get Medicare Advantage Instead of Original Medicare If…
— You take prescription drugs. As stated, original Medicare doesn’t cover prescriptions unless you pay extra to add Part D coverage. (The average monthly cost of Part D will be $33.50 in 2018.) By contrast, about 82 percent of Medicare Advantage plans include drug coverage, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research institute. In some cases your monthly premium will exceed the amount you’d pay for part D. The federal government and brokers like PlanPrescriber.com have online tools where you can check how much you’ll pay for the drugs you need. (U.S. News has a revenue-generating agreement with eHealthInsurance, which owns PlanPrescriber.com.)
— You want a cap on your out-of-pocket health spending. Original Medicare has no out-of-pocket maximum. You keep paying a portion of the cost of services as you use them. Medicare Advantage plans, by law, have an out-of-pocket maximum of no more than $6,700 per year, although plans can choose to have a lower out-of-pocket maximum. Once you hit that limit, the plan pays for all covered expenses.
— You want an alternative to enhancing your Medicare coverage with private “Medigap” (Medicare Supplement) insurance. Medigap plans cover or help cover certain deductibles, coinsurance and out-of-pocket costs of original Medicare. Some Medicare Advantage plans, but certainly not all, will be more cost-effective than adding Medigap coverage to original Medicare. Scrutinize the plan details if this is your reason for considering Medicare Advantage.
— You want an alternative to the 20 percent coinsurance charged by original Medicare for most services. Medicare Advantage plans structure costs differently and have an out-of-pocket maximum, which limits how much you’re required to spend on your medical care each year.
— You want coverage for vision, dental, assisted living facilities or nursing home care. Original Medicare doesn’t cover these services. Certain Medicare Advantage plans do.
— You want the broadest possible choice in doctors and other medical providers. More doctors and other providers accept original Medicare than private Medicare Advantage insurance. Private plans tend to be restricted to a home network, like an HMO doctor network. If you travel frequently, you may want to consider staying with original Medicare for this reason.
— You want maximum flexibility when seeking medical specialists. Under original Medicare, you don’t need prior authorization from a primary care doctor to see a specialist, whereas Medicare Advantage plans that are designated HMOs could require you to see a primary care doctor first. PPO plans would allow you to see a specialist without a referral, but seeing an out-of-network doctor or specialist would cost you more. Most Medicare Advantage plans are either HMOs or PPOs.
— You’re still employed and covered by your employer. You might end up paying an unnecessary premium for Medicare Advantage or could lose your employer-provided coverage. Check with your human resources department and the Social Security Administration for specifics.
— You have employer-sponsored retiree health benefits that supplement original Medicare. These benefits wouldn’t help with Medicare Advantage, so check with your human resources department before signing on a Medicare Advantage plan.
— You qualify for Medicaid or a Medicare Savings Program. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries have other options and should contact their state Medicaid office.
[See: How to Help Aging Parents Manage Medications.]
If you decide to buy a Medicare Advantage plan, you must enroll between Oct. 15 and Dec. 7 — the period known as open enrollment — in order for your coverage to start the first of the following year. (Original Medicare has separate enrollment periods for seniors who aren’t automatically enrolled.) Because of government regulation, Medicare Advantage premiums are not influenced by age, health status or the method by which a consumer signs up (through an insurance agent, for example, or directly through an insurer). Monthly cost — and plan availability — varies from county to county.
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Medicare vs. Medicare Advantage: How to Choose originally appeared on usnews.com
Update 10/23/17:
