Original Medicare covers many of your health care needs. It works with private companies approved by Medicare that provide different ways to get your health care and prescription drug coverage in the Medicare Program. Your Medicare plan choices include:

• The Original Medicare Plan and Medicare Supplement –  The Original Medicare Plan pays for many health care services and supplies, but it doesn’t pay all of your health care costs. There are costs that you must pay, like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.  A Medicare Supplement policy covers these gaps in Medicare coverage.

• Medicare Advantage Plans –  If you have one of these plans, you don’t need a Medicare Supplement policy. These plans include:

  • Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO),
  • Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
  • Private Fee-for-Service Plans
  • Medicare Special Needs Plans
  • Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans (MSA)

  These plans may cover more services and have lower out-of-pocket costs than the Original Medicare Plan. Some plans cover prescription drugs. In some plans, like HMOs, you may only be able to see certain doctors or go to certain hospitals to get covered services.

• Prescription Drug Plans – These stand-alone plans add prescription drug coverage to the Original Medicare Plan, some Medicare Cost Plans, some Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans.