Insurance Questions? We Have Straight Answers.

Medicare Advantage (Part C) is an all-in-one private plan that replaces Original Medicare — usually with lower premiums and extras like dental and vision, but you must use the plan's network. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) works alongside Original Medicare to cover the 20% Medicare doesn't pay, letting you use any doctor in the U.S. that accepts Medicare. Medigap has a monthly payment but is more predictable. We'll show you which makes more sense for your doctors and budget.

Most people become eligible at age 65. Your Initial Enrollment Period (IEP) is a 7-month window: the 3 months before your 65th birthday, the month of your birthday, and the 3 months after. Enroll during the first 3 months to have coverage start on the first day of your birthday month. Miss it and you may pay a late enrollment penalty for life.

Starting January 1, 2025, your out-of-pocket spending on covered Part D prescription drugs is capped per year. Once you hit that limit, your plan pays 100% of covered drug costs for the rest of the year. This is a major change from prior years, when there was no cap.

Only if your doctors are in the plan's network. Networks vary by plan and by ZIP code. Before we recommend a plan, we check your current doctors against the plan's directory. If keeping a specific specialist matters more than anything, Medigap is usually the better path — it works with any doctor that accepts Medicare.

Most Medicare Advantage plans (called MAPD plans) already include Part D prescription coverage. If yours does, do not enroll in a separate Part D plan — it will trigger automatic disenrollment from your MA plan. If you have Original Medicare or a Medigap plan, you'll likely want a standalone Part D plan.

Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) runs October 15 – December 7 every year — this is when anyone on Medicare can change plans. The Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment Period (Jan 1 – March 31) lets people already on a MA plan switch to a different MA plan or back to Original Medicare. Other times you can change plans include a Special Enrollment Period triggered by moving, losing employer coverage, or other life events.

Medicare costs vary based on your income, the plan type you choose, and where you live. Part A is premium-free for most people. Part B has a standard monthly amount set by the federal government each year. Medicare Advantage plans often have no additional monthly amount beyond Part B. Medigap and Part D plan amounts vary depending on plan letter, age, and state. Your Meet Med Plans advisor will explain the exact amounts for each plan available in your area.

Yes. The Part B late enrollment penalty increases your monthly amount for every 12 months you delayed enrollment when you were eligible — and it lasts as long as you have Medicare. The Part D late enrollment penalty is applied for each month you went without creditable drug coverage. We'll help you avoid both.

Yes — during Annual Enrollment (Oct 15 – Dec 7), you can change Medicare Advantage plans, switch from MA to Original Medicare (or vice versa), or change Part D plans. Medigap is different: outside your initial 6-month Medigap enrollment window, carriers can use medical underwriting to deny you or charge more, depending on your state.

Yes. Our service is free to you. Carriers pay us when you enroll in a plan — the same regardless of which carrier you pick — so our advice is unbiased. You'll pay the same amount whether you enroll through Meet Med Plans or directly with the carrier.