Compare Medicare Advantage Plans
Use a disciplined plan comparison based on care, prescriptions, cost, and rules.
Confirm eligibility and date
Record your Part A and Part B effective dates, residential ZIP code and election period first. Advantage enrollment requires both A and B, residence in the service area and a valid joining window. An invalid date can make a seemingly attractive plan unavailable. Keep the exact plan ID and intended effective year together with the documents used for comparison.
Official source: Medicare: Joining a plan ↗ · Medicare: When coverage starts ↗
Build a provider list
Name the primary doctor, specialists, hospitals, facilities and recurring treatment providers. Check their participation in each exact contract with both the plan and provider office. Ask whether a referral or prior authorization is required, and what happens if a provider leaves the network. A parent insurance-company logo is not sufficient evidence of access to a particular physician.
Official source: Medicare: Provider network fact sheet ↗ · Medicare: Evidence of Coverage ↗
Price the whole drug list
Use precise drug name, strength, quantity and preferred pharmacy. Compare formulary inclusion, tier, deductible, prior authorization, step therapy and annual out-of-pocket estimate. In 2026 the $2,100 covered Part D drug cap does not remove plan premiums or cover a drug excluded by the plan. A preferred pharmacy may change the estimated member cost.
Official source: Medicare: Compare plans ↗ · Medicare: What drug plans cover ↗ · Medicare: Drug plan rules ↗ · Medicare: 2026 drug cap and payment option ↗
Test more than one medical year
Add monthly Part B and any plan premium, common visits, hospital copays and likely procedures. Then model a year with a large covered medical expense using the actual plan’s annual maximum and network limits. A low premium can coexist with high point-of-care costs. Extra dental, vision and hearing benefits need their own allowances and provider checks.
Official source: Medicare: Medicare Advantage guide ↗ · Medicare: Evidence of Coverage ↗ · Medicare: 2026 costs ↗
Keep the comparison record
Save the exact year’s Evidence of Coverage, provider responses, prescription estimate and enrollment confirmation. When fall comes, compare the Annual Notice of Change against the baseline: next-year premiums, networks, formulary and service area can change. An agent’s verbal summary is not a substitute for the governing plan document.
Official source: Medicare: Evidence of Coverage ↗ · Medicare: Annual Notice of Change ↗ · Medicare: Yearly review ↗