Are Medicare Advantage plans always a bad choice?

If you are trying to decide between Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement, you may have heard from an insurance agent—or the whole Internet machine thing everybody is into now—that Medicare Advantage plans are horrible.

Before accepting a blanket opinion like that, ask whether the person is certified to sell Medicare Advantage plans as well as Medicare Supplements; agents who sell Medicare Advantage must complete annual training and pass a test, and some agents choose not to do that work.

Medicare Advantage is not right for everybody, but many plans have lower monthly premiums than Medicare Supplements and may be a good fit for someone who is comfortable with the plan’s provider network, cost sharing and rules.

Medicare Supplements can provide excellent, predictable coverage and broad access to providers who accept Medicare, but they generally come with higher monthly premiums and usually require a separate Part D drug plan.

Neither choice is automatically better for everyone, so talk with someone who actively represents both types of coverage and can compare your doctors, prescriptions, budget and preferences objectively—like me.

Source: Medicare.gov: Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage

This general educational information is not individual plan advice. Plan availability and benefits vary by location and contract year.