Original Medicare: Helps cover inpatient care in hospitals, skilled nursing facility care, hospice care, and home health care.

Original Medicare: Helps cover - Services from doctors and other health care providers; Outpatient care; Home health care; Durable medical equipment (like wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, and other equipment); Many preventive services (like screenings, shots or vaccines, and yearly “Wellness” visits)

Medicare Advantage is a Medicare-approved plan from a private company that offers an alternative to Original Medicare for your health and drug coverage. These “bundled” plans include Part A, Part B, and usually Part D.   

Helps cover the cost of prescription drugs (including many recommended shots or vaccines). You join a Medicare drug plan in addition to Original Medicare, or you get it by joining a Medicare Advantage Plan with drug coverage. Plans that offer Medicare drug coverage are run by private insurance companies that follow rules set by Medicare.

Extra insurance you can buy from a private company that helps pay your share of costs in Original Medicare. Policies are standardized, and in most states named by letters: A-D, F, G, AND K-N. The benefits in each lettered plan are the same, no matter which insurance company sells it, however the price may vary.