Medicare Advantage, also known as Medicare Part C, is an alternative to — rather than a replacement for — Original Medicare. It’s an “all-in-one” plan that bundles Medicare Part A, Part B, and usually Part D.
Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private companies that have been approved by Medicare. They are required to follow rules set by Medicare.
Many Medicare Advantage plans offer benefits like dental, hearing, and vision coverage, which Original Medicare does not include.
If you decide to join a Medicare Advantage plan, you’ll still have Original Medicare. However, most of your Part A (hospital insurance) and Part B (medical insurance) coverage will come from the Medicare Advantage plan, not Original Medicare.
Keep reading to learn about the differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are the two main ways to get Medicare.
Original Medicare includes the following:
Medicare Advantage plans cover everything included in Medicare Part A and Part B, plus:
| Benefit | Covered by Original Medicare | Covered by Medicare Advantage |
|---|---|---|
| medically necessary services and supplies | most are covered | same coverage as Original Medicare |
| drug coverage | available with Part D add-on | included with most plans |
| doctor selection | any doctor who takes Medicare | only in-network doctors |
| specialist referral | not needed | may need referral |
| vision, dental, or hearing coverage | available with supplement add-on | included with some plans |
| preapproval | not typically needed | required in some cases |
| coverage outside of the United States | may be available with purchase of Medigap policy add-on | generally not covered |
Original Medicare covers most medically necessary services and supplies in doctors’ offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings.
With Medicare Advantage, all of the medically necessary services that are covered through Original Medicare must be covered.
With Original Medicare, you can join a separate Part D plan, which includes coverage for medications.
With Medicare Advantage, many plans come with Part D already included.
With Original Medicare, you can buy supplemental coverage, such as a Medigap policy, or an add-on Part D plan to get additional coverage.
With Medicare Advantage plans, you cannot buy or use separate supplemental coverage. That means you’ll want to confirm that the plan you choose will cover your needs since you won’t have the option to add supplements to expand your coverage.
With Original Medicare, you can use any doctor or hospital in the United States who accepts Medicare. In most cases, you don’t need a referral to see a specialist.
With Medicare Advantage, you will typically be required to use doctors in the plan’s network, and you may need a referral to see a specialist, depending on your plan.
Original Medicare doesn’t offer extra benefits, such as vision, dental, and hearing. Instead, you’ll need to add a supplement to receive these benefits.
Many Medicare Advantage plans offer additional coverage benefits.
With Original Medicare, you typically don’t have to get approval ahead of time for coverage of a service or supply.
With Medicare Advantage, you may be required to get preapproval in some cases to make sure a service or supply is covered by the plan.
Original Medicare generally doesn’t cover care outside of the country, but you may be able to purchase a Medigap policy for coverage while traveling abroad.
Medicare Advantage generally doesn’t cover care outside the United States or nonemergency care outside of the plan’s network.
With Original Medicare, after you’ve met your deductible, you’ll usually pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount for services covered by Part B.
With Medicare Advantage plans, you may have lower out-of-pocket costs than Original Medicare for certain services.
With Original Medicare, there is no yearly limit on out-of-pocket costs.
With Medicare Advantage plans, there is a yearly limit, or “out-of-pocket max.” Once you reach your plan’s limit, you will have no out-of-pocket costs for services covered by Part A and Part B for the rest of the year.
With Original Medicare, you pay a monthly premium for Part B. If you buy Part D, you will pay that premium separately.
With Medicare Advantage, you may pay a premium for Part B in addition to a premium for the plan itself.
Most Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. Some offer a $0 premium, and some may help pay all or a portion of your Part B premiums.
Medicare Advantage does not replace Original Medicare. Instead, Medicare Advantage is an alternative to Original Medicare. These two healthcare plans have differences, which may make one a better choice for you.
To help with your decision, you can get more information from the following sources:
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