Medicare Advantage - Medicare Improvements

Medicare Advantage
or "Part C"

Medicare Advantage (or Part C) plans offer lower monthly costs, but higher copayment costs and sometimes less flexibility.

The most common secondary insurance for Medicare–and growing more popular every year–is Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Part C. Why so popular? Well because most plans cost you a $0 monthly premium. Also, Part C provides additional benefits that are beyond Medicare healthcare, like dental and vision.
This is different from Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plans, which follow Original Medicare and generally don’t go beyond healthcare cover.
Also, most Medicare Advantage plans include Pharmacy benefits too. And here’s the crazy thing: copayments and deductibles are typically LESS than what you pay on Prescription Drug Plans (PDP, or Medicare Part D).

People love their Medicare Advantage plans because of these reasons

What people don't like about Medicare Advantage plans (compared to Medigap)

Comparing a hypothetical Medigap plan with Medicare Advantage.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

Medicare Advantage

Sounds like something for nothing. What’s the catch?

So what’s the magic of Medicare Advantage? How is that possible to pay one-third the cost and get more benefits?
Here’s how: it is highly subsidized by the U.S. federal government. Medicare Advantage plans are offered by private companies (big names like Blue Cross / Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Cigna, etc.) that the government pays to manage your healthcare.
The money they receive is more than they need to pay for your healthcare alone, so that means they use the extra money to offer more benefits (including giving you your Part B premium back sometimes).
One of the most recent benefits offered through some Medicare Advantage plans is an actual DEDUCTION in the monthly premium you pay for Medicare Part B, called a “Part B Giveback” benefit. So a $50 Part B Giveback benefit means you may get an additional $50 on your social security check.