The right Part C plan has the coverage you are looking for at the right price with the providers you want to see.

What Are Part C Plans?

Medicare Part C plans are also known as Medicare Advantage plans. These plan types are designed to be an affordable alternative to Original Medicare (Part A and Part B), helping to control out-of-pocket expenses that aren’t typically covered under Original Medicare.

These Part C plans are offered by private health insurance companies which have been approved by Medicare. Medicare compensates these insurance companies for handling your Part A and Part B covered services.

When people sign up for Medicare, they usually choose either a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medicare Supplement plan in addition to Original Medicare. The reason Medicare Advantage plans can help you control your out-of-pocket expenses is that these plans have out-of-pocket maximums. Medicare Supplement plans are designed specifically to take care of the out-of-pocket costs from Part A and Part B, which is why they are 

What Do Medicare Advantage Plans Cover?

Medicare Advantage plans have the same coverage as Medicare Part A and Part B. This hospital and medical insurance covers inpatient care, home health care, hospice care, and preventive and medically necessary services such as clinical research, ambulance services, durable medical equipment, mental health care, and limited outpatient prescription drugs.

These plans also offer packages for dental care, vision care, hearing care, and fitness club memberships. Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans (MA-PD) have the same prescription drug coverage as Medicare Part D plans, effectively making a combined Part A + Part B + Part D plan.

Do I Need Dental, Vision, or Hearing Packages?

Original Medicare does not cover all of your health insurance needs. Routine dental, vision, and hearing care are not included in your coverage, nor are any equipment such as dentures, contact lenses, or hearing aids. To get coverage for any of these areas of health while you have Medicare, you would need to sign up for an additional supplement insurance plan specific to that area. 

Dental care is important over time and especially important when our teeth have aged and our enamel has weakened. Tooth and gum care is critical to maintaining proper hygiene and health as well as preventing gum disease and inflammation from affecting your heart and other important organ systems. Dental insurance covers regular cleanings as well as procedures such as cavity fillings, tooth extractions, root canals, and more. If you intend to get orthodontic work, you need to secure dental insurance beforehand to afford the procedures and equipment. If you choose to purchase a Medicare Advantage plan with a dental package, you will pay a slightly higher premium each month for all of your benefits.

Vision care is crucial for maintaining our quality of life. Our eyesight tends to get weaker over time, and this can affect our depth perception, periphery, and ability to read or drive. Regular eye exams are important for updating your prescription and watching out for degenerative conditions such as macular degeneration or watching for cataracts. Eye exams can even indicate certain health conditions such as diabetes. Original Medicare does not cover routine care for vision, nor does it cover lenses, frames, or contact lenses unless the patient is recovering from an eye surgery. Vision insurance covers regular eye exams as well as a set allotment of lenses or frames during the year. If you choose to purchase a Medicare Advantage plan with a vision package, your monthly premiums will be slightly higher to account for the additional benefits.

Hearing care is something that is especially important for seniors. Hearing, like eyesight, can decline over time as a result of prolonged exposure to loud noises or other environmental or biological factors. Hearing is also a quality of life issue. Hearing insurance can cover hearing exams as well as hearing aid fittings and hearing aids. Many plans offer an allotment of new hearing aid equipment every so often as well to maintain the quality of your hearing care. If you choose to purchase a Medicare Advantage plan with a package for hearing care, you can expect your monthly premiums to be increased as a result.

Medicare Advantage plans give you the convenience of purchasing this dental, vision, and hearing coverage from one health insurance company instead of paying a separate premium to an outside health insurer for just one area of health services. This convenience is a factor that many Medicare Advantage plan members appreciate to keep things simple.

Do I Need Prescription Drug Coverage?

Do you regularly take prescription medications? You would be a good candidate for prescription drug coverage, which helps cover the costs of prescription drugs you take. Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans (MA-PD) have prescription drug coverage equivalent to Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. These plans list their covered drugs in formularies. Each plan covers nearly all drugs in six categories: anticancer, anticonvulsant, antidepressant, antipsychotic, antiretroviral, and immunosuppressant. You and your prescriber can request an exception if you are prescribed a drug that cannot be substituted with one on the formulary or if you are prescribed a drug in a quantity above the limit. You should look for a Medicare Advantage plan that covers the prescription drugs you are taking.

How to Choose Medicare Advantage Plans

You want to decide whether or not you need additional coverage for dental, vision, hearing, or prescription drug coverage. Then you can move forward with your search.

To search for a Medicare Advantage plan, you can use Medicare’s plan finder. You can prepare for your search by making a list of your current healthcare providers as well as a list of the prescription drugs you are taking. This is to help you eliminate any plans that will not allow you to stay with your current provider or a plan that does not cover your prescription drugs.

You can use the finder to enter your information and search for plans that offer the coverage you are looking for. Enter your prescription drugs when prompted to find a list of plans that match your criteria. To select your new Medicare Advantage plan, compare the available plans for their costs and coverage choices as well as the healthcare providers the plan allows you to see.

For help choosing a Part C plan, contact an agent with Medicare Peace of Mind.