Part C is also known as the Medicare Advantage plan. The plan was designed by private medicare insurance companies like medigap. It offers similar coverage as Part A and Part B, but with added benefits. The premium for Part C plan depends on the types of advantage plan. Some plans can include routine vision and dental service check-up or some may include a drug plan. To be eligible for Part C, it is necessary to have the original medicare, and regular Part B premium should be paid.

There are 6 types of advantage plans. This plan can be considered over the medicare supplement plan in 2021. The year 2021, will see some extreme changes in Part C Advantage plans. One of the major changes includes the extensive services of telehealth; where the senior patients will get the best medical assistance and services at their doorstep. The patient needs to have a video conference with the doctor. This service is available for a few medical fields like Cardiology, Primary care, Endocrinology, gynecology, dermatology, and psychiatry.

Coming back to the types of advantage plans-

  1. Health-maintenance organization plan (HMO) – To see the in-network doctor, without paying extra expense.
  2. Preferred Provider organization plan (PPO) – The patient can choose any doctor, as long as they accept the medicare facility.
  3. Private fee for service plan (PFFS) – The doctor should be accepting of the terms and conditions of payment, else the plan will not cover doctor’s fees.
  4. Special need plan (SNS) – This plan has prescribed drug coverage and is useful for those with special needs. It also holds good for someone with chronic diseases like end-stage renal disease or HIV/AIDS.
  5.  Health maintenance organization- point of service plan (HMO-POS) – It covers both in and out network health care facilities, so whenever a patient goes to the doctor they need not pay out of their pockets.
  6. Medical saving account plan (MSA) – This provides deductible with a bank account, where the money gets deposited in that account. The deposited amount varies from plan to plan.

The medigap plans may be useful and expensive at the same time. There are a lot of medigap options in the market, but for someone who thinks they are expensive, can go for medicare advantage plans. There are the considerable differences between the two, but people prefer medigap plans to cover extra expenses like hospice. The hospice is not covered advantage plan.

If you choose the plan G or N, recommended right for the medicare supplement plan in 2021, then you need to pay the Part B deductibles.  The medicare advantage plans can be sold by the same private insurance company as the medicare supplement plans. There are no fixed prices and it all depends on the need of the person as per the plan. The medigap plans have more number of services, the prices can be determined as per the number of services. As touched earlier, the Plan G and Plan N are the best medicare supplement plan for 2021.