Intro to Medicare

Medicare Advantage and
Medicare Supplement

Medicare Advantage plans may be your best choice if you prefer a low monthly premium and the simplicity of a single plan to cover your medical, hospital, and prescription costs.

  • Provides your Part A and Part B coverage from the Medicare Advantage plan and not Original Medicare
  • May offer additional benefits that are not part of Original Medicare such as vision, hearing, dental, wellness programs, and more
  • May include prescription drug coverage
  • Typically require the use of network providers

Medicare Supplement insurance plans may be your best choice if you want the most freedom to travel and see any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare.

  • Designed to pay for certain health care expenses not covered by Medicare Part A and Part B
  • Does NOT provide prescription drug coverage (but can be added as a standalone Part D prescription drug plan)
  • Provides free choice of your doctor and hospital (who must accept Original Medicare)
Medicare Advantage(MA) Medicare Supplement
Coverage provided by Must cover the same Part A and Part B benefits as Original Medicare. Can also cover benefits like vision and dental care. Helps cover many of the costs that Original Medicare leaves you to pay out of pocket, such as deductibles and co-insurance.
Prescription Drug coverage Some plan options include prescription drug benefits. Medicare supplement plans DO NOT cover prescription drugs.
Plan options The most common types are HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations), PPOs (Preferred Provider Organizations) and PFFS (Private-Fee-for-Service) plans.

Standard Medigap policies are offered to Massachusetts residents:

Medicare Supplement Core, Medicare Supplement 1 and Medicare Supplement 1A.

However, some insurers may offer additional plan options.
Doctor and hospital choice Medicare Advantage plans may require you to only see providers within the plan's network. Some plans allow you to go out of network but higher costs may apply. You can see any provider that accepts Original Medicare.