Medicare: Medicare Advantage Specifics
If you’re thinking about enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan, be sure to review potential out-of-pocket costs, network restrictions, and whether your prescriptions and providers are covered. Medicare Advantage, or Part C, can include extra benefits not included in Original Medicare, such as vision, hearing, dental, transportation, over the counter drugs, and services that promote health and wellness. Part C is just one piece of the puzzle: Medicare offers plan options that can include Parts A, B, C, D, and/or Medigap.
Created by DeafHealth with the support of the Patient Advocate Foundation and Pfizer, these videos on Medicare in American Sign Language (ASL) will give you the skills to make informed decisions about your coverage, the benefits offered by Medicare, and how to use your insurance confidently. The videos cover different topics including Medicare Parts A, B, C, D, and Medigap Plans.
- American Sign Language Medicare Guide: https://deafhealthaccess.org/updates/health-insurance/
- English Medicare Guide: https://www.patientadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/MedicareBenefitsGuide_English-1.pdf
- Medicare Resources Sheet: https://www.patientadvocate.org/wp-content/uploads/Medicare-Resources-Section.pdf
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Transcript and Video Description
[Video Description: The post has a video thumbnail with blue shading overlaid. The top middle has "Medicare: Medicare Advantage Specifics” in white text with light blue background, accompanied by a yellow bubble with “Medicare” in blue. In the video: A nonbinary person with long, curly brown hair stands in front of the camera. Behind them is a light brown leather couch and a blue built-in bookshelf wall. They are wearing jeans, a black shirt layered with a forest green button-down shirt, and a pair of gold and green earrings.
Transcript: Original Medicare includes only Part A and Part B: hospital and medical. There is an alternative to Original Medicare, known as Part C or a Medicare Advantage Plan. This kind of plan bundles Parts A, Part B, and usually Part D in one plan. Medicare Advantage can cover extra benefits not included in Original Medicare, such as vision, hearing, dental, and transportation. If you’re considering a Medicare Advantage Plan, be aware of the out-of-pocket costs, network restrictions, and prescription drug coverage. The out-of-pocket costs for Medicare Advantage Plans, including premiums, or the amount you pay per month, can vary. The costs may be lower with a Medicare Advantage Plan compared to Original Medicare. You may also need to use specific providers or facilities that are part of the Medicare Advantage Plan’s network, including getting referrals to see specialists. If you frequently travel or live in different locations throughout the year, you should carefully consider the potential coverage limitations of a Medicare Advantage Plan before enrolling. Medicare Advantage Plans have a more limited network of providers than Original Medicare. Most, but not all, Medicare Advantage Plans include prescription drug coverage. If you are enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan without prescription drug coverage, you can enroll in a separate Part D Plan. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can’t buy a Medigap plan. This is because Medicare Advantage Plans already offer the same benefits offered by Medigap. Medigap policies cannot pay for Medicare Advantage deductibles, copayments, or coinsurance. If you’re interested in a Medicare Advantage Plan, you cannot enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan unless you’re enrolled in both Parts A and B. You can enroll in a Medicare Advantage Plan during the Initial Enrollment Period. During this time, you also have the option to switch to another Medicare Advantage Plan (with or without drug coverage) or switch back to Original Medicare (with or without a drug plan) within the first 3 months of having Medicare Part A and Part B. A yearly Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Advantage Plans takes place from January 1 to March 31. Your Medicare coverage will start on the first day of the month after you sign up. If you are in a Medicare Advantage Plan you can: switch to a different Medicare Advantage Plan or switch to Original Medicare and join a Part D Plan. During Annual Open Enrollment, you are unable to switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage Plan or join or switch your Medicare Drug Plan if you are in Original Medicare. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a faded white background of a doctor holding hands with another individual] Deaf. Healthy. DeafHealth. Learn more at www.deafhealthaccess.org. [The screen fades to show a thumbnail of a blue lighthouse] Paf. Patient Advocate Foundation. www.patientadvocate.org.]