What is a Medicare Part C plan?
A Medicare Part C (also called Medicare Advantage) plan is a private insurance policy that replaces Medicare Part A and Part B. In other words, if you enroll in a private Medicare Part C plan, you no longer receive coverage through Medicare Part A or Medicare Part B.
Medicare Part C plans are regulated by the federal government, which requires every plan to provide at least the same coverage as the government-run Medicare Parts A and B. Medicare Part C plans eliminate some Medicare co-payments and deductibles, just as a Medigap insurance policy does. And like Medigap policies, Medicare Part C plans provide coverage for some gaps in Medicare Part A and Part B coverage. For that reason, if you enroll in a Medicare Part C plan, you don't also need to buy a Medigap policy.
Keep in mind that each Medicare Part C plan is slightly different, depending on what that plan's private insurance company chooses to offer beyond basic Medicare.
Why look at Medicare Part C plans? The slightly broader coverage than Medicare Part A and Part B is one reason, but the main benefit is cost. Total out-of-pocket expenses with a Medicare Part C plan are usually lower than expenses with the combination of traditional Medicare Parts A and B plus a Medigap insurance policy. (But there are also real disadvantages with Part C plans; see What are the disadvantages of Medicare Part C plans?)
MEDICARE SHOULD COVER ACTOPUNCHERS, REALLY HELP PEOPLE ,AND SAVE MONEY
It will take me several reads to get through all this info, but it's very helpful in sorting out fact from the fiction pushed at us by health insurance companies.