Medicare Advantage Plan
Are you considering a Medicare Advantage Plan? Seniors' Healthcare Solutions consults seniors throughout the Kansas City area to find affordable Medicare Advantage Plans that fits their health needs.
What Is a Medicare Advantage Plan?
Medicare Advantage Plan is another way for seniors to get Medicare Coverage in Kansas and Missouri. If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you still have Medicare. You’ll get your Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) coverage from the Medicare Advantage Plan, not Original Medicare. Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called “Part C” or “MA Plans,” are offered by private companies that Medicare approves.
What Does Medicare Advantage Plans Cover?
In all types of Medicare Advantage Plans, you're always covered for emergency and urgent care. Medicare Advantage Plans must cover all of the services that Original Medicare covers except hospice care and some care in qualifying clinical research studies. Original Medicare covers hospice care and some costs for clinical research studies, even if you're in a Medicare Advantage Plan.
Medicare Advantage Plans may offer extra coverage, like vision, hearing, dental, and other health and wellness programs. Most include Medicare prescription drug coverage (Part D).
How Much Does a Medicare Advantage Plan Cost?
Medicare pays a fixed amount for your coverage each month to the companies offering Medicare Advantage Plans. These companies must follow rules set by Medicare.
However, each Medicare Advantage Plan can charge different out-of-pocket costs and have different rules for how you get services (like whether you need a referral to see a specialist or if you have to go to doctors, facilities, or suppliers that belong to the plan’s network for non-emergency or non-urgent care).
These rules can change each year. The plan must notify you about any changes before the start of the next enrollment year.
Features of Medicare Advantage
- May require in network doctors and hospitals
- May need referrals and required to use network specialists
- Emergency care is travel within the U.S. and sometimes abroad
- Specific periods during the year for enrollment or plan switching
- Typically pay a low or $0 monthly plan premium in addition to Part B premium.
- When you use services, you pay co-pays, co-insurances, and deductibles
- Prescription drug coverage included in most plans