All-in-one plan vs. any-doctor plan

When you join Medicare, you choose how to get your coverage. One choice is an all-in-one plan (Medicare Advantage). A private insurance company provides your hospital and doctor coverage instead of Medicare from the government (Original Medicare). Most plans also cover prescriptions.

The other choice is the any-doctor plan (Original Medicare + Medigap + drug plan). You keep hospital and doctor coverage from the government. You add a plan that helps pay the bills Medicare leaves behind (Medigap), plus a drug plan (Part D). Both choices are Medicare. The difference is how you pay and which doctors you can see.

You use the plan's list of doctors and hospitals. Most plans include prescription coverage. When you get care, you pay small fees per visit and other amounts. What you pay depends on how much care you use. There is a yearly limit on what you pay for covered hospital and doctor care. You still pay your Part B (doctor coverage) monthly cost.

You keep Medicare from the government as your main coverage. The help-with-bills plan (Medigap) pays most of what remains for covered care. You can see any doctor in the U.S. who takes Medicare. There is no plan list of doctors to stay within. You pay a higher, fixed monthly cost and need a separate drug plan (Part D).

You cannot use an all-in-one plan (Medicare Advantage) and a help-with-bills plan (Medigap) together. Think about what matters to you: a lower monthly cost with the plan's list of doctors, or more choice of doctors with more predictable bills.