10
Your Medicare options
When you first sign up for Medicare, and during certain times of the year, you can
choose how you get your Medicare coverage. There are 2 main ways to get Medicare:
Original Medicare
• Original Medicare includes Medicare
Part A (Hospital Insurance) and
Part B (Medical Insurance).
• You can join a separate Medicare
drug plan to get Medicare drug
coverage (Part D).
• You can use any doctor or hospital
that takes Medicare, anywhere in
the U.S.
• To help pay your out-of-pocket costs
in Original Medicare (like your 20%
coinsurance), you can also shop for
and buy supplemental coverage.
Medicare Advantage
(also known as Part C)
• Medicare Advantage is a
Medicare-approved plan from a
private company that offers an
alternative to Original Medicare for
your health and drug coverage. These
“bundled” plans include Part A,
Part B, and usually Part D.
• In many cases, you can only use
doctors who are in the plan’s network.
• In many cases, you may need to get
approval from your plan before it
covers certain drugs or services.
• Plans may have lower or higher
out-of-pocket costs than Original
Medicare. You may also have an
additional premium.
• Plans may offer some extra benefits
that Original Medicare doesn’t cover—
like certain vision, hearing, and dental
services.
Part A
Part B
You can add:
Part D
You can also add:
Supplemental
coverage
This includes Medicare
Supplement Insurance
(Medigap). Go to Section 5
(starting on page 75) to learn
more about Medigap. Or, you
can use coverage from a current
or former employer or union, or
Medicaid.
Part A
Part B
Most plans include:
Part D
Some extra benefits
Some plans also include:
Lower out-of-pocket
costs
Go to Section 3 (starting on
page 57) to learn more about
Original Medicare.
Go to Section 4 (starting on
page 61) to learn more about
Medicare Advantage.