Medicare Advantage Plans

Medicare Advantage Plans are a type of Medicare health plan offered by private insurance companies that contract with Medicare to provide all Part A and Part B benefits. Most Medicare Advantage Plans also offer prescription drug coverage as well.

Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called “Part C” or “MA Plans,” are offered by private insurance companies that are approved by Medicare. Medicare pays these companies to cover your Medicare benefits. 

To be eligible to enroll, you must be eligible for Medicare Parts A and B and live in the plan’s service area.

Policy Basics

• A Medicare Advantage Plan will provide all of your Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. This is different than a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) policy, which helps cover Part A and Part B out-of-pocket costs such as deductibles, copayments and coinsurance.
• A Medicare Advantage Plan may require you to use certain health care providers (the provider network). Seeing providers outside the network can significantly increase your out-of-pocket costs.
• Many Medicare Advantage Plans offer extra benefits such as vision, dental or wellness coverage.
• Most Medicare Advantage Plans offer Part D prescription drug benefits.

In addition to your Medicare Part B premium, you usually pay one monthly premium for the services included in a Medicare Advantage Plan. Different Medicare Advantage Plans have different costs and benefits, which can also change from year to year. It is important to compare plans and understand these different costs and benefits before you enroll.

There are different types of Medicare Advantage Plans available in Minnesota:

HMO Point-of-Service (HMO POS) 

Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) 

Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS) 

Special Needs Plans (SNPs)