Hospice care is not covered by Medicare Advantage. Original Medicare Part A pays for hospice care even when you get your benefits through a private Medicare Advantage plan.

Also, not all of the same prescription drugs that might be covered under a standalone prescription drug plan will be covered by Medicare Advantage.

Every Medicare Advantage plan has a service area. This is a geographic area where the plan is available and offers coverage. A service area is usually a county, state or region. You must live in a plan’s service area in order to join it.

If you elect to go with a Medicare Advantage plan, make sure your current physician is in the network for that plan. Most Medicare Advantage plans are either PPO or HMO plans, so unless you want to switch doctors, you are going to want to make sure your current physician is part of their network.

The Medicare Advantage plan combines traditional Medicare and Medigap coverages. While providing the same coverage as traditional Medicare, a Medicare Advantage plan usually adds in drug coverage and other benefits such as hearing aids or medical equipment like diabetes test kits.