Medigap (AKA Medicare supplement) and Medicare Advantage are like apples and elephants.
Medigap is a supplement to fill in the holes (gaps) in Medicare by paying your deductibles and coinsurance.
Medicare Advantage puts you in a private Medicare system managed by insurance carriers and introduces networks, copay's, a lot of moving parts and a lot of out of pocket.
Medigap is very different than Medicare Advantage. Medigap, offered by a private insurance company, works in conjuction with Medicare, helping to cover some or all of the remaining balance of your bills after Medicare pays their share. With Medicare Advantage, which can often be obtained at no cost, your entire health coverage is provided by a private insurance company, one who must cover as much, if not more, than Original Medicare. For most people, the combination of Original Medicare and Medigap Plan F offers the most coverage available. If you do not have a budget that allows you to purchase a Medigap plan, then consider an Advantage plan, which will provide more coverage than simply remaining on Original Medicare.
Medicare Advantage Plans are very different from Medigap or Medicare Supplement Plans. Medicare Advantage is Part C of Medicare. They are managed health care plans such as HMOs or PPO's and have networks which means they have doctors and hospitals they want you to see to receive your medical care from. With a Medicare Supplement you can go to any doctor or hospital in the United States that accepts Medicare. With a Medicare Advantage Plan when faced with serious or chronic health conditions you could be faced with as much as $6,700 in out of pocket expenses in a calendar year for Medicare approved services. With a Medicare Supplement your out of pocket cost for Medicare approved services are low, fixed and stable year after year. In my professional opinion a person on Medicare is much better served by having a Medicare Supplement versus a Medicare Advantage Plan.
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Medigap is a supplement to fill in the holes (gaps) in Medicare by paying your deductibles and coinsurance.
Medicare Advantage puts you in a private Medicare system managed by insurance carriers and introduces networks, copay's, a lot of moving parts and a lot of out of pocket.