Medicare is a fee-for-service health insurance program for aging individuals. It comes with an alphabet soup of parts that offer different types of coverage and benefits. But Medicare has its challenges—including many holes that simply aren’t covered at all. To fill those gaps, consider enrolling in a Medicare Advantage or a Medicare Supplement plan.

*Dependent on the plan and participating health care providers—coverage may vary
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​To help you make an informed decision and weigh the pros and cons of each option, we’ve gathered unbiased expert insights and research on coverage, cost, convenience and choice.

Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement: What's the Difference?

Knowing whether a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Supplement plan is best for your health needs can be difficult. Consider the following factors as you compare benefits.

Types of Medicare Health Plans
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“People in Medicare are either in Original Medicare, or fee-for-service Medicare, or they’re in a Medicare Advantage plan,” says Gretchen Jacobson, Ph.D., vice president of Medicare at The Commonwealth Fund, a foundation that supports independent research on health care issues and makes grants to improve health care practice and policy.

Generally, you need to pay a portion of the cost for each service Original Medicare covers out of pocket. And, according to the U.S. government’s official Medicare handbook for 2022, there’s no limit to what you may pay in a year unless you have other coverage, such as a Medicare Supplement, Medicaid or employee or union coverage, or you enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan.

What Is Medicare Advantage?

Medicare Advantage (also known as Part C) plans are provided by private insurers and essentially replace Original Medicare as your primary insurance. They cover all Medicare-covered benefits and may also provide additional benefits like some dental, hearing, vision and fitness coverage. Most of them also include Part D, which covers prescription drugs.

“Your choice of doctors and hospitals is more restricted ... 

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