How to Compare Medicare Plans

Comparing Medicare plans isn't about finding the cheapest — it's about finding the right fit for your health, your doctors, and your budget. Here's what to check.

1. Your doctors and hospitals. For Advantage plans, confirm every doctor you see is in-network. For Supplement plans, this is simple — they work anywhere Medicare is accepted. Don't skip this step; it's the #1 source of regret for people who switch plans.

2. Your prescriptions. List every medication (including dose and frequency) and check each plan's formulary. Look at the tier, not just whether it's covered. A drug on Tier 3 can cost 10x more than the same drug on Tier 1.

3. Your preferred pharmacy. Most plans have "preferred" pharmacies where copays are lower. Make sure yours is one of them.

4. Total yearly cost — not monthly premium. Add up 12 months of premiums, your expected drug costs, and any routine copays you'd pay. Then compare totals. The plan with the lowest premium often has the highest total cost if you actually use healthcare.

5. Out-of-pocket maximum. For Medicare Advantage, this is the most you'd pay in a bad year. Lower is better. Medicare Supplement plans don't have one because they cover nearly everything.

6. Extra benefits (for Advantage only). Dental, vision, hearing aids, gym memberships, OTC allowance, transportation. Nice to have — but never let them outweigh the first five items.

7. Star ratings. Medicare rates every plan 1–5 stars on quality. Stick to 4+ when possible.

The shortcut: A licensed agent can run all of this for you in 20 minutes, for free. That's what we do here.