What is Medicare Advantage?

The plans of Medicare Advantage certainly differ from original insurance plans, but the answer to know if they can vary better from person to person.

Although all the medicare plans to correspond to or go beyond the coverage of original health insurance – they tend to offer drug coverage, vision and hearing advantages, as well as additional advantages, such as formal subscriptions – there are also possible drawbacks.

The medicare plans of advantage often require the prior approval of many procedures and have a more limited network of service providers than original health insurance, so they may not suit everyone – especially people who wish to see specific doctors or go to a certain hospital or care center. They also force you to live in the plan service area, so if you live in two different areas of the country throughout the year, you will want to stick to the home insurance.

“The network of doctors and hospitals is much more regional than the National Medicare network,” explains Josh Hodges, director of customers at the National Council on aging. “It is important to verify that your favorite doctors and hospitals are in the plan network.”

“If you are relatively in good health, a medicare plan Advantage could have a financial meaning,” said Jennifer Wolff, PHD, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “But if you manage chronic conditions and need specialized care, the wider supplier network in original health insurance can become crucial for your decision-making.”