08/30/2026
This is an updated version of a post from March, with the three questions your comments asked most answered below: switching back from Medicare Advantage, Medigap versus Advantage, and what that F asterisk meant.
Medicare has 4 parts, A through D, and the lettered plans A through N are Medigap supplement policies sold by private insurers, not additional parts of Medicare.
Part A covers inpatient hospital care with a $1,736 deductible per benefit period, and most people pay no premium for it.
Part B covers doctor visits and outpatient care at $202.90 per month standard, and after its $283 deductible, Original Medicare generally pays 80%, leaving 20% coinsurance with no annual cap.
Part C, Medicare Advantage, replaces Original Medicare through private plans, and for 2026 the federal maximum in-network out-of-pocket is $9,250, though many plans set lower caps.
Part D caps your out-of-pocket drug spending at $2,100 for 2026, after which covered drugs cost $0 for the rest of the year.
On the F asterisk: Plans C and F closed to anyone newly eligible for Medicare in 2020 or later, which is why Plan G is now the most common Medigap choice.
On switching: you can leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare during open enrollment, but outside your first 6 months on Part B, Medigap insurers in most states can medically underwrite you, which means the door back to a supplement is not guaranteed to be open.
On Medigap versus Advantage, there is no universal winner: the deciding variables are whether you want any-doctor flexibility, whether you would rather pay a steady premium or accept out-of-pocket risk, and whether that underwriting lock-in matters for your health.
Which combination are you carrying right now: Original plus Medigap, Advantage, or still deciding?
The content shared here is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not personalized investment, tax, legal, or financial advice. Consult a licensed professional before making decisions based on your specific situation.
