Medicare · Advantage (Part C)
Get more out of Medicare with an Advantage plan.
Part C bundles your hospital, medical, and usually drug coverage into one plan — often with dental, vision, and hearing added, sometimes at a $0 monthly premium. More than half of Medicare beneficiaries now choose one. Here’s how to tell if you should.
All-in-one
What is a Medicare Advantage plan?
Advantage plans are offered by Medicare-approved private insurers and cover everything Original Medicare does — then typically add benefits Original Medicare never touches:
- Vision exams & eyewear
- Dental care
- Hearing exams & aids
- Fitness memberships
- Over-the-counter allowances
- Rides to appointments
Before you choose
Seven things to know about Part C
You’re still in Medicare
Joining an Advantage plan keeps you in the Medicare program, with all its rights and protections.
No Medigap alongside it
Advantage plans can’t be paired with a Medicare Supplement — the plan itself caps your yearly out-of-pocket costs instead.
Price protection on key care
Plans can’t charge more than Original Medicare for chemotherapy, dialysis, or skilled nursing care.
Pre-existing conditions covered
You can join regardless of health history, and plans can’t charge you more for it.
Enrollment is time-sensitive
You join during specific windows, and coverage generally runs the calendar year.
Extra benefits built in
Most plans add dental, vision, hearing, and wellness benefits Original Medicare doesn’t offer.
Drug coverage usually included
Most Advantage plans bundle Part D — one card, one plan, one place to call.
Timing matters
When can you join or switch?
Initial Enrollment
Your 7-month window around turning 65
Join an Advantage plan when you first get Parts A & B.
Annual Enrollment (AEP)
October 15 – December 7
Join, switch, or drop a plan for January 1 coverage.
Advantage Open Enrollment
January 1 – March 31
Already on Advantage? One switch to another plan — or back to Original Medicare — with coverage the month after.
To enroll you’ll need: your Medicare number and the start dates of your Part A and B coverage — both on your red, white, and blue card. Bring those, and we handle the rest.
Fika makes it easy
The right Advantage plan is a local question.
Networks, drug formularies, and extra benefits differ plan to plan and county to county. We compare the Advantage plans actually available where you live — including whether your doctors and prescriptions are covered — and give you the real yearly cost, not just the premium. Free, no pressure, no spam.
FAQs
The honest answers
“$0 premium” means the plan charges nothing monthly — you still pay your Part B premium ($202.90/mo standard in 2026), plus the plan’s copays and coinsurance as you use care. Costs also depend on plan type (HMO vs PPO) and staying in network. We put the real yearly math in front of you before you choose.
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