Blog / Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage
20 articles on medicare advantage, written for South Texas.
Medicare Advantage
What is Medicare Advantage (Part C)?
A private plan that takes over administering your Medicare. Here is how it actually works, what it adds, and what it asks of you in return.
Medicare Advantage
What are the disadvantages of Medicare Advantage?
An honest list of the trade offs, including the underwriting problem that makes the decision harder to reverse than people expect.
Medicare Advantage
What is the difference between Medicare Advantage and Medigap?
They solve the same problem in opposite ways, and you can only have one. Here is how to tell which fits your situation.
Medicare Advantage
How much does a Medicare Advantage plan cost?
The premium is the smallest part of the answer. Here is every cost an Advantage plan can carry and how to compare two plans honestly.
Medicare Advantage
Are there $0 premium Medicare Advantage plans near me?
In Hidalgo County, a lot of them. Here is what zero premium actually means and how to judge whether one is right for you.
Medicare Advantage
HMO or PPO: which Medicare Advantage plan type should I choose?
The difference comes down to what happens when you need a doctor outside the network. Here is how to decide before you need one.
Medicare Advantage
Can I keep my doctor with a Medicare Advantage plan?
Only if your doctor is in that specific plan's network for that specific year. Here is how to check properly, and what to do when a doctor leaves.
Medicare Advantage
Does Medicare Advantage cover prescription drugs?
Most plans include it, and the formulary matters more than the premium. Here is how to check before you enroll, not after.
Medicare Advantage
Does Medicare Advantage cover dental and vision?
Most plans include something. How much is a completely different question, and it is where the brochures are least useful.
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 frequently overlooked.
Medicare Advantage
What Medicare Advantage plans are available in my area?
Plan availability is set by ZIP code and resets every year. Here is how to find what is actually offered where you live and how to narrow it down.
Medicare Advantage
What is the Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period?
January 1 through March 31, and it only works in one direction. Here is exactly what it lets you do and what it does not.
Medicare Advantage
Can I switch from Medicare Advantage back to Original Medicare?
Yes, in two windows each year. The harder question is whether you can still buy the supplement that makes it affordable.
Medicare Advantage
How do I cancel my Medicare Advantage plan?
You rarely cancel directly. In most cases you enroll in something else and the old plan ends on its own. Here is the right sequence.
Medicare Advantage
Do Medicare Advantage plans work when I travel out of state?
Emergencies are covered anywhere. Routine care usually is not. Here is what that means for snowbirds, travelers and anyone crossing into Mexico.
Medicare Advantage
Does my Medicare plan cover my medications next year?
The Annual Notice of Change that arrives every September tells you. Here are the five things to look for before you file it away.
Medicare Advantage
Can I be denied a Medicare Advantage plan for pre-existing conditions?
No. Advantage plans cannot turn you down for health reasons. The place health history does matter is somewhere else entirely.
Medicare Advantage
Do Medicare Advantage plans pay part of my Part B premium?
Some do. It is called a giveback and the money is real, but it is worth understanding what funds it before you choose a plan for that reason.
Medicare Advantage
Which Medicare Advantage plan is best?
There is no best plan, and anyone who names one without asking about your doctors and your medications is guessing. Here is how to find the best plan for you.
Medicare Advantage
How do I enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan?
What you need first, when you are allowed to enroll, and the checks worth doing before you sign rather than after.