Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement: What's the Difference?

Last updated: September 29, 2026 · Anthony and Kim Insurance Agency

When you have Medicare, there are two main ways to get coverage beyond Original Medicare's basic hospital and medical insurance. You can join a Medicare Advantage plan, or you can keep Original Medicare and add a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan. Here is how they compare.

Medicare Advantage (Part C)

• Offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.
• Replaces how you get your Part A and Part B benefits. You still have Medicare and still pay your Part B premium.
• Most plans include prescription drug coverage (Part D).
• Most plans use a network of doctors and hospitals (HMO or PPO).
• You usually pay copays or coinsurance when you get care, and every plan has a yearly limit on what you pay out of pocket for covered medical services.
• Many plans include extra benefits Original Medicare does not cover, such as some dental, vision or hearing benefits. Benefits vary by plan.

Medicare Supplement (Medigap)

• Works alongside Original Medicare. It helps pay costs Original Medicare does not, like deductibles, copays and coinsurance.
• You can generally see any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare.
• Does not include prescription drug coverage. Most people add a separate Part D drug plan.
• You pay a monthly premium to the Medigap company in addition to your Part B premium, but you usually pay little when you get care.
• Plans are standardized and named by letters (for example, Plan G or Plan N), so the same letter has the same basic benefits no matter which company offers it.

Which one is right for me?

There is no single right answer. Some questions that help:

• Do you want the freedom to see any doctor who accepts Medicare, or are you comfortable using a network?
• Would you rather pay a higher monthly premium and less when you get care, or a lower premium and copays as you go?
• Do you travel or spend part of the year in another state?
• Are your current doctors and prescriptions covered by the plans you are considering?

Timing matters

You have a one-time Medigap Open Enrollment Period: the 6 months that start the month you are 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During that time, a Medigap company cannot turn you down or charge you more because of your health. Outside that window, you may have to answer health questions. California also has a "birthday rule" that gives people who already have a Medigap plan a yearly window around their birthday to switch to another Medigap plan with the same or fewer benefits without health questions.

You can generally switch Medicare Advantage plans, or leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare, during the Annual Enrollment Period each fall.

This article is general information about Medicare and is not advice about any specific plan. For official information, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY users 1-877-486-2048), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

More Medicare guides

• Medicare Annual Enrollment Period guide
• Turning 65 Medicare checklist