Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage (formerly Medicare + Choice) Plans - Available in
many areas. If you have one of these plans, you don’t need a Medigap
policy. Medicare Advantage Plans include:
- Medicare Managed Care Plans
- Medicare Preferred Provider Organization Plans (PPO)
- Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans
- Medicare Specialty Plans
If you decide to join a Medicare Advantage Plan, then you will use the
health care card that you get from your Medicare Advantage Plan
(provider) for your health care. These plans often give you more
choices and, sometimes, extra benefits, like extra days in the
hospital.
To join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and
Part B. You will have to pay the monthly Medicare Part B premium of
$88.50 in 2006 to Medicare. In addition, you might have to pay a
monthly premium to your Medicare Advantage Plan for the extra benefits
that they offer.
If you’re in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you don’t need a Medigap
policy because Medicare Advantage Plans generally cover many of the
same benefits that a Medigap policy would cover, like extra days in
the hospital after you used the number of days that Medicare pays for.
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