Blog / Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage
20 articles on medicare advantage, written for South Texas.
Medicare Advantage
What is Medicare Advantage (Part C)?
Medicare Advantage, or Part C, is a private plan that runs the Medicare you already have. Here is how it works and what it asks of you.
Medicare Advantage
What are the disadvantages of Medicare Advantage?
A plain list of the trade offs in Medicare Advantage, including the six month window that makes the choice harder to reverse than people expect.
Medicare Advantage
What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?
Medigap and Medicare Advantage cover the same gap in opposite ways, and you can only hold one. Here is how to compare a full year of each.
Medicare Advantage
How much does a Medicare Advantage plan cost?
The monthly premium is the smallest part of the answer. Here is every cost an Advantage plan can carry and how to compare two plans properly.
Medicare Advantage
Are there $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans near me?
Zero premium means the plan adds no monthly bill of its own. You still pay Part B, copays and drug costs. How to judge a plan like that.
Medicare Advantage
HMO or PPO: which Medicare Advantage plan type should I choose?
An HMO covers only its own network of doctors. A PPO also covers doctors outside the network, at a higher cost. Here is how to choose.
Medicare Advantage
Can I keep my doctor with a Medicare Advantage plan?
Only if that doctor is in the plan's network for that plan year. How to check it the right way, and what to do when a doctor leaves.
Medicare Advantage
Does Medicare Advantage cover prescription drugs?
Most Advantage plans include drug coverage, but not all of them. Check the plan's drug list against your own medications before you enroll.
Medicare Advantage
Does Medicare Advantage cover dental and vision?
Most Advantage plans add some dental, vision and hearing help. The yearly limits, and what they leave out, matter more than the word included.
Medicare Advantage
What is a D-SNP (dual eligible special needs plan)?
A Medicare Advantage plan built for people who have both Medicare and Medicaid. Common in Hidalgo County and often missed.
Medicare Advantage
What Medicare Advantage plans are available in my area?
Your county and ZIP code decide which Medicare Advantage plans you can join. Here is how to look up your own list and narrow it down.
Medicare Advantage
What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment runs January 1 through March 31. It is only for people already in an Advantage plan, and it allows one change.
Medicare Advantage
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare?
Yes, in two windows each year. The harder question is whether a Medigap company will still sell you the policy that covers your share.
Medicare Advantage
How do I cancel my Medicare Advantage plan?
You rarely cancel directly. You enroll in your next coverage and the old plan ends on its own. The order you do it in decides whether a gap opens.
Medicare Advantage
Do Medicare Advantage plans work when I travel out of state?
Emergency care travels with you anywhere in the United States. Routine care outside your plan's area usually does not. Here is what that means for trips.
Medicare Advantage
Does my Medicare plan cover my medications next year?
Your plan mails an Annual Notice of Change every September. It lists what changes in January. Here are five things to check before you file it away.
Medicare Advantage
Can I be denied a Medicare Advantage plan for pre-existing conditions?
No. A Medicare Advantage plan cannot turn you down or charge you more for your health. A Medigap policy is where health history counts.
Medicare Advantage
Do Medicare Advantage plans pay part of my Part B premium?
Some do. Here is how the Part B reduction reaches you, what pays for it inside the plan, and how to weigh it before you sign up.
Medicare Advantage
How do I compare Medicare Advantage plans?
No one plan fits everyone. Compare on your doctors, your medicines, your worst year of costs and how you live, and look at extras last.
Medicare Advantage
How do I enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan?
What you need before you sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan, which enrollment windows you can use, and the five checks to run first.