Disadvantages of Medicare Advantage Plans With Original Medicare (Parts A and B and maybe D), you know what you get. Hospitalization is almost free, and you pay 20% of everything else, except for part D drug co-payments. You have to pay an annual deductible, which is small. On the other hand, there is no out-of-pocket [...]

What Doesn’t Medicare Cover? Both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans cover a lot of treatments and services. But there is also a lot that they don’t cover. For example, neither covers extended stays in a nursing home (that is covered either by Medicaid or a purchased long-term care policy.) And new treatments, drugs, and [...]

What Do I Need to Know About Medicare Supplement Plans? Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (doctor’s services) and Part D (prescription drugs) of original Medicare have co payments and deductibles. Deductibles are what you have to pay before Medicare pays anything. Co-payments are what you have to pay for each hospital stay, physician’s service, [...]