FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SEE THE OTHER SECTIONS OF THIS DOCUMENT

As a Medicare beneficiary, you have to receive coverage from the Original Fee-for-Service Medicare or from a variety of plans known together as Medicare Advantage (formerly: Medicare+Options).

Medicare Advantage consists of a variety of products which substitute for Original Medicare. Today Medicare Advantage includes HMO plans, PPO plans, POS plans, Private Fee-For-Service plans, Medical Savings Account plans and (in a few states) Social/HMO Demonstration Project plans.

Take your time to be an informed consumer and choose the plan that works best for you.

Each Medicare Advantage Plan must provide minimum coverage specified by Medicare. A Plan can offer additional services and set its own premiums, deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance. Each Plan must also have appeal procedures.

There are special rules with respect to Medicare Advantage HMOs, as well as advantages and disadvantages.

It is easy to enroll or disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan. You can change Plans every year, but the timing may be restricted. As of 2012, you can also switch plans once a year if the plan to which you sitch has a Medicare top five-star quality rating. You can find such plans on Medicare's website at www.medicare.gov . Look for the plans with a gold star.

You are protected if a Plan terminates.

To learn how to maximize use of a Medicare Advantage plan, see:

How To Maximize Use Of An HMO
How To Maximize Use Of A PPO Health Insurance Policy
How To Maximize Use Of A POS Health Insurance Policy
How To Maximize Fee-For-Service Health Insurance

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