Source: Kaiser Family Foundation |
Medicare’s annual Open Enrollment period, October 15 - December 7, gives people 65 years of age and older and those with certain health conditions the opportunity to change their Medicare plan for the following year. There are other enrollment periods: Initial Enrollment (with or without Part B), Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment, Special Enrollment, and enrollment for special situations, such as being under 65 with a disability.
The annual Open Enrollment period allows Original Medicare recipients to change their Part D drug plan or switch from Original Medicare to a Medicare Advantage plan. Medicare Advantage recipients can change from one Medicare Advantage plan to another or switch to Original Medicare.
Certain aspects of Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans are confusing. Here is a closer look at the commonalities and differences between them.
Original Medicare and Medigap Plans
Original Medicare is managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) under the supervision of the Department of Health and Human Services. Funding comes from several sources: two dedicated trust funds held by the U.S. treasury; payroll taxes; premiums paid by Medicare recipients; and congressional allocations. It has three parts: Part A, which covers hospital care; Part B, which covers preventative and medically necessary care; and Part D, which covers prescription drugs.
Original Medicare Part A has no premium for most retirees and covers all hospital costs for the first 60 days of your hospital stay after you pay the $1,632 deductible. After that, you will be responsible for increasing costs after each subsequent 60-day period. These benefits and costs are not assessed annually but are based on benefit periods, which begin on the day of hospital admission and end after 60 consecutive days without inpatient hospital care.
Part B pays 80% of the Medicare-approved amount for each outpatient service provided by healthcare providers. This Medicare-approved amount is typically much lower than the charges you see on your Medicare Summary Notice and is the amount that providers agree to accept as payment. After you pay your annual deductible of $240 for 2024, you will only be responsible for 20% of the Medicare-approved amount from those providers who agree to be paid directly by Medicare.
Part B has a monthly premium cost of $174.70 for recipients whose 2022 modified adjusted gross income was $103,000 or less (single) or $206,000 or less (married, filing jointly).
Many Original Medicare beneficiaries choose to buy a Medigap plan that covers their annual deductible and the remaining 20% of the Medicare-approved amount. You can check out available plans in your area by setting up/logging into your online Medicare account or simply logging on to Medicare.gov. Monthly premiums vary by plan.
Part D drug coverage plan premiums also vary by plan and most I saw listed on the Medicare website had a deductible of $590. Premiums ran the gamut from $12.40 to $107.50 per month. Beginning in 2025, Part D out-of-pocket expenses will be capped at $2,000.
Original Medicare does not cover long-term care, dental, eye, and hearing care. A detailed list of non-covered items can be found here.
It is important to sign up for Original Medicare during the Initial Enrollment Period, which begins three months before your 65th birthday and ends three months after the month of your birthday. If you delay, you may be assessed substantial penalties.
Medicare Advantage Plans (Part C)
These plans are offered by private insurers that contract with CMS to administer the Medicare program for their enrollees. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, nearly 33 million people, 54% of the Medicare-eligible population, are currently enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, compared to 24 million in 2020.
Medicare Advantage plans must cover the same services as Original Medicare, though most offer additional benefits such as eye, hearing, and dental care.
The number of Medicare Advantage plans available is dizzying. The average Medicare recipient can choose from 43 plans offered by various private insurers. By entering Shutesbury’s zip code on Medicare.gov, I was shown 21 Medicare Advantage plans available for Franklin County and only three Medigap plans.
Nationally, huge health insurance companies dominate the Medicare Advantage market. In 2024, UnitedHealthcare boasted 29% enrollment of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries, followed by Humana (18%), Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates (14%), and CVS Health (12%).
There are several reasons for Medicare Advantage plans’ popularity and most hinge on the differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage.
Many Medicare Advantage plans offer $0 monthly premium plans that include benefits not available with Original Medicare alone. Though enrollees still pay the $176.70 Medicare Part B monthly premium, they avoid the added cost of a Medigap plan.
Some Medicare Advantage plans also include drug coverage for a $0 premium.
Enrollee out-of-pocket expenses are limited in Medicare Advantage plans, unlike Original Medicare.
Medicare Advantage plans have high visibility. Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage plans are heavily marketed to seniors because of their profitability to insurers. Insurance brokers make hefty commissions and referral fees from insurers to sell Medicare Advantage plans, which incentivizes them to push those plans to prospective enrollees.
Source: Pinnacle Financial Services |
How can insurers afford to offer so many extras? The answer is complex, but simply put, insurers receive substantial payments from CMS to cover these costs. Various factors, including benchmark bids, quality incentives, rebates, and risk adjustments, contribute to insurers' per-enrollee payments. In 2019, the total amount provided to Medicare Advantage plan providers was approximately $12,000 per enrollee per year.
The Dark Side of Medicare Advantage Plans
There are downsides to Medicare Advantage plans, for both beneficiaries and taxpayers in general. Here are a few of the biggies.
In-network provider lists are often limited. Obtaining care outside the plan’s network can be costly–more so than with Original Medicare, which allows you to see the 98% of providers that accept Original Medicare patients.
Prior authorizations are up. This technique is increasingly being used by Medicare Advantage insurers to limit care, particularly for pricey services. In 2019, 75% of Medicare Advantage enrollees were in plans requiring prior authorization; in 2024, it is 99%. Though few enrollees appealed their denial in 2022, over 83% of those appealed denials were subsequently overturned.
Medicare Advantage plans with $0 premiums may have high drug deductibles (if they offer prescription drug plans) and high deductibles (more than $10,000) for both in- and out-of-network care before the plan starts paying for your care.
In most states (fortunately, not in Massachusetts) switching to Original Medicare from Medicare Advantage allows Medigap plans to deny coverage for preexisting conditions, which they cannot do during the Initial Enrollment period.
The quality of Medicare Advantage plans, as reflected in CMS’ annual star ratings, has been decreasing since 2022, when the average rating was 4.37. For 2025, the average rating is 3.92.
Large Medicare Advantage insurers have faced congressional scrutiny over the past few years due to questionable business practices that cost taxpayers billions annually. A recent investigation by the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations revealed that UnitedHealthcare, Humana, and CVS have misused the prior authorization process to deny post-acute care to vulnerable enrollees. The Office of the Inspector General also found that Medicare Advantage plans overcharged CMS by diagnosing enrollees as severely ill to receive higher payments, despite no additional testing or follow-up care being provided to those patients.
As in most things in life, due diligence is required when deciding on the Medicare plan that best fits your needs. Medicare.gov provides an excellent search tool that allows you to personalize your search and review relevant plans quickly and easily.