10/09/2026
It is important to understand the difference between Original Medicare with a supplement and a Medicare Advantage Plan. When you choose a "Medicare Advantage Plan" You are giving up "Original or Traditional Medicare". Many people do not understand this. They are led to believe that Medicare Advantage Plans are the same thing as Medicare but they are not. When you choose an "Advantage Plan" you are signing up with a private, for profit insurance company and you are waiving your rights to Traditional Medicare. Many of these plans sound good on the surface. They promise to give you the exact same benefits as Medicare but they often cost you $0.00 for your monthly premium. So how do they make money? They make it up through co-pays and by cutting your benefits. They do not offer the same coverage as Traditional Medicare. Most people are caught completely off guard by this. For example: Original Medicare allows 20 acupuncture visits per year. Select Health does not cover acupuncture at all. Humana says that they cover acupuncture but they will routinely deny claims that are submitted by your doctor/ provider and they end up not getting paid for their services which has caused many providers to stop taking them. Do your research! The old saying, "You get what you pay for" applies in this situation. Many of the Medicare Advantage Plan representatives will mislead you and lead you to believe that the advantage plan that they are trying to sell you is the same or better than Original Medicare with a supplement. This is NOT true. These reps are getting around $600 for every person that they sign up for an Advantage Plan. So do your research and know what you are signing up for. Remember, "You get what you pay for."
