Medicare Advantage plans have become a popular option for Medicare-eligible persons in the last few years for a variety of reasons. People find the Advantage plans may be cheaper than Medigap, and Part D can be rolled into the Advantage plan. Consumers can also often take advantage of other features of a Medicare Advantage plan such as fitness memberships or vision care. If you are interested in switching from Medigap to Medicare Advantage, it is important to note that the two plans operate differently. Let’s look at those differences.
If you have Medicare with a Supplement, you have access to the national network of over 800,000 participating physicians. Medigap plans have flexibility in using the care provider network. When switching to Medicare Advantage, you will be using a smaller network in many cases. It may be county or state-wide, but it will be more restricted than Medigap
. You also need to do some homework to determine which networks have your preferred physician enrolled, and if you have a preferred hospital that needs to be checked also.
Another thing to keep in mind is that with Medicare Advantage, you will be choosing a primary physician if you need to switch from whom you use now. Advantage plans are managed care networks, meaning that you will probably have to get referrals from your primary physician to see a specialist in the network. If the referral process is cumbersome for you, consider looking at Medicare Advantage PPO networks which usually allow you to see any network physician without a referral.
Finally, returning to a Medigap plan in the future is not guaranteed, because they normally require medical underwriting to return. If you have developed any medical history in the interim, you may not qualify to return later to a Medigap plan. Keep that in mind as you decide what is best for you. Also, keep in mind that these plans change every year, so review your options when the Annual Election Period occurs.
All this may sound confusing, but the Insurance Hub can help you sort through the many options for Medicare coverage and the advantages of each. Give us a call today at (888) 838-4482 to start choosing your best Medicare plan coverage.