Choose the Right Medicare Plan

Before signing up for original Medicare or Medicare Advantage, understand the trade-offs.

-  KIMBERLY LANKFORD

Enrolling in Medicare, which you can do starting at age 65, comes with a series of decisions for getting the most out of your health care coverage. One of the first decisions you’ll have to make is whether to enroll in original Medicare or a private Medicare Advantage plan.

ORIGINAL MEDICARE

With original Medicare, you can use any doctor, facility or provider that accepts Medicare. Most seniors don’t pay premiums for Part A, which covers in-patient care at a hospital or skilled-nursing facility. You’ll pay a monthly premium for Part B, which covers doctor visits, physical therapy, diagnostic tests and other out-patient care. In 2022, the standard Part B monthly premium is $170.10; seniors who are subject to a high-income surcharge pay more (see “How to Fight a High-Income Surcharge,” April).

In addition to signing up for parts A and B, you’ll probably want to enroll in a Part D plan to cover prescription drug costs and a “medigap” plan to cover other out-of-pocket costs. One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming that Medicare will pay all of their medical expenses, says Tatiana Fassieux, education and training specialist with California Health Advocates. “Regardless of how they get their Medicare coverage,” she says, “there’s always a cost—premiums, deductibles, and coinsurance or co-pays.”