Latest News
“Original Medicare,” or Medicare Advantage: Two different things
“Original Medicare” refers to the Medicare coverage which existed prior to the advent of plans known as “Medicare Advantage.” Original Medicare is a program which is provided by the Federal Government, and includes coverage for hospitalization (known as Part A), and doctors and outpatient services (known as Part B). On the other hand, “Medicare Advantage” plans aren’t provided by the Federal Government but rather by private insurance carriers who must follow Federal guidelines about the coverage they can offer, but usually restrict participants to using healthcare services from “in-network” providers to get the most cost efficient coverage. This compares to original Medicare, which allows beneficiaries to use any healthcare provider which accepts Medicare (nearly all providers in the nation). While that’s a fairly simplistic explanation of the differences, this Forbes article by Gregory Gurbikian explains the distinctions between “original Medicare” and “Medicare Advantage” in great detail and in easy to understand terms which should help everyone know the difference between these two commonly misunderstood healthcare options for seniors. Click here to read more.
This posting is presented for informational purposes only and does not represent legal or financial guidance. Any opinions or interpretations presented are either those of the original author or, in the case of articles authored by the AMAC Foundation, are the opinions of AMAC Foundation staff, originally trained and accredited by the National Social Security Association (NSSA) and certified via the AMAC Foundation. Any links included in the article are valid on the posted date; socialsecurityreport.org cannot guarantee the duration of the links’ validity. NSSA and the AMAC Foundation and its staff are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Social Security Administration or any other governmental entity. To submit a question, visit our website (https://amacfoundation.org/services/) or email us at ssadvisor@amacfoundation.org. Because we are a non-profit organization, there is no charge for these services.