United Integrity Group

Getting Started Choosing Between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplemental Plans

Whether you call it a Medicare Medigap, or Supplemental plan, the result is the same - additional services added on to your existing Medicare plan that meet your needs, at your discretion.

Medicare, and its many options now available to Americans, can be daunting when you first start exploring your options. In general, they fall into two categories - Medicare Advantage, or Medicare Supplemental (Medigap) Plan. But the differences between the two are vast.

Medicare Advantage plans are all unto themselves a solid creation, whereas Medigap plans offer more flexibility to the consumer. They offer many advantages over "advantage" plans, including fixed pricing (no surprises!) and .

Researching your options is essential. Make an educated decision based on needs, cost and availability in your region.

Consider:

• Copayments
• Costs for services
• Costs for equipment
• Whether your physician is available in your network
• How much coverage you need

You may, at this time, wish to speak with friends, your doctor's office, and representatives from plans that you may select. Medicare plans come in every variation, and narrowing them down to a few will help ease the decisionmaking process. Taking the time to research and speak with professionals will help you successfully transition into a plan that suits your lifestyle, budget and needs.