01Part C
Medicare Advantage
One plan from a private insurer that replaces how you get Part A and Part B, usually adds drug coverage, and caps what you pay out of pocket in a year. You use the plan network.
Medicare made clear
Medicare, explained without the jargon.
What each part actually covers, how Medicare Advantage and Medigap differ, and which enrollment window applies to you. Then see the plans offered in your county.
Annual Enrollment: October 15 to December 7This is the window when anyone with Medicare can join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage or Part D plan. Changes you make take effect on January 1. If you are new to Medicare, your own Initial Enrollment Period around your 65th birthday comes first.
Start here
Four pages, and you will know what you are choosing between.
Medicare is not one product. It is a set of parts, and the real decision is how you fill the gaps that Parts A and B leave open.
02Medigap
Medicare Supplement
A standardized policy that pays part of what Original Medicare leaves you owing, such as coinsurance and copays. No network, and you add a separate drug plan if you want one.
03Part D
Prescription drug coverage
Drug coverage sold as a standalone plan alongside Original Medicare, or built into most Medicare Advantage plans. Each plan has its own covered drug list and pharmacy network.
04Side by side
Compare your two paths
Original Medicare with a Medigap policy and a drug plan, or a single Medicare Advantage plan. The comparison page walks through the trade-offs that actually decide it.
The foundation
Original Medicare is Part A and Part B.
Nearly everyone on Medicare starts with Parts A and B, the coverage run directly by the federal government. Together they pay a large share of hospital and medical costs, but they leave you responsible for deductibles and coinsurance with no annual ceiling, and they do not include routine drug coverage. Everything else you hear about, Advantage, Medigap, Part D, exists to change that arrangement.
What Parts A and B do
The coverage you get before you add anything.
- Part A covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care. Most people pay no premium for Part A because they or a spouse paid Medicare taxes long enough while working.
- Part B covers doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, lab work, and durable medical equipment. Part B has a monthly premium that nearly everyone pays, including people enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Original Medicare has no annual limit on what you pay out of pocket, which is the reason most people add either a Medigap policy or a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Original Medicare does not include routine prescription drug coverage. That comes from a Part D plan.
- You can see any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts Medicare, with no network and no referrals.
Dates that matter
The windows to keep on your calendar.
- Initial Enrollment Period around your 65th birthday
- 7 months
- Annual Enrollment Period, changes start January 1
- Oct 15 to Dec 7
- Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment
- Jan 1 to Mar 31
- Medigap open enrollment once you have Part B at 65 or older
- 6 months
Good to know
Common questions about Medicare.
When am I first eligible for Medicare?
Most people become eligible at 65. Your Initial Enrollment Period runs seven months: the three months before the month you turn 65, your birthday month, and the three months after. People under 65 can qualify earlier through disability benefits or a diagnosis of end-stage renal disease or ALS, under separate rules.
What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?
They solve the same problem in opposite ways and you cannot use both together. A Medicare Advantage plan replaces the way you receive Parts A and B: a private insurer manages your care through a network and caps your annual out-of-pocket costs. A Medigap policy leaves you on Original Medicare and pays part of the coinsurance and copays Medicare leaves behind, so you keep nationwide access to any provider who accepts Medicare.
Do I have to do something every year?
Not necessarily, but it is worth a look. Medicare Advantage and Part D plans send an Annual Notice of Change each fall describing next year changes to costs, covered drugs, and networks. The Annual Enrollment Period from October 15 through December 7 is when you can switch, and the changes you make take effect January 1.
Does Medicare cover dental, vision, or hearing?
Original Medicare does not cover routine dental care, routine eye exams for glasses, or hearing aids. Many Medicare Advantage plans include some coverage for those services, but what is included and how much it pays varies a great deal by plan and by county, so check the plan documents rather than assuming.
Will a plan cost me more if I sign up late?
It can. Part B and Part D both carry late enrollment penalties for people who delay without having other qualifying coverage, and the Part D penalty is added to your premium for as long as you have drug coverage. If you are still working and covered by an employer plan, different rules may apply, so check before you skip a window.
Is My Live Health part of Medicare?
No. My Live Health is a private company that helps you compare coverage and connects you with licensed agents. It is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. The official government site is Medicare.gov.
Plans in your area
See which Medicare plans are offered in your county.
Enter your ZIP code and compare the coverage available to you. No cost, and no obligation to enroll.