The honest answer to “which Medicare plan is right for me?” is: it depends. There’s no single best plan — only the plan that fits your doctors, your medications, your budget, and how you like to live. Here’s a simple framework to help you narrow it down.
Start with one big fork in the road
Most of the decision comes down to two paths: Medicare Advantage or Original Medicare paired with a Medigap policy. They solve the same problem — covering the gaps Original Medicare leaves — in very different ways.
| Medicare Advantage | Medigap + Original Medicare | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | Often $0 or low | Higher, but predictable |
| Provider choice | Network (HMO/PPO) | Any provider that takes Medicare |
| Drug coverage | Usually built in | Add a standalone Part D plan |
| Extras (dental/vision/hearing) | Often included | Not included |
| Out-of-pocket max | Yes, an annual cap | Plan covers most gaps |
Neither is “better.” They simply suit different people. The questions below will show you which way you lean.
Do you want to keep specific doctors, or travel a lot?
If you have a specialist you trust, see doctors in more than one state, or spend winters somewhere warm, that points toward Medigap. With a Medigap plan you can see any provider in the country that accepts Medicare — no networks, no referrals, no surprises when you’re away from home.
Plan G is the most popular choice. After you pay the $283 Part B deductible, it covers nearly all the remaining gaps. Plan N has a lower premium in exchange for small copays (up to $20 for an office visit, $50 for the ER) and the chance of a Part B excess charge if a provider doesn’t accept assignment. Both give you that go-anywhere freedom.
Is a low premium the priority, and are you fine with a network?
If keeping your monthly cost down matters most and your doctors are local, Medicare Advantage may be the better fit. These all-in-one plans often have a $0 or low premium, usually fold in Part D drug coverage, and frequently add dental, vision, and hearing benefits. The trade-off is that you stay within the plan’s network and your costs can vary more from visit to visit, up to that annual out-of-pocket maximum.
One thing that surprises people: you still pay the Part B premium of $202.90 a month even with a $0-premium Advantage plan. The plan’s premium is separate from — and on top of — your Part B premium. Our Cost Estimator can help you sketch out the full monthly picture for either path.
What prescriptions do you take?
Your medication list is one of the most powerful tie-breakers. Before you fall in love with any plan, check whether your specific drugs are on its formulary — the list of medications it covers — and what tier they land on. Two plans can cover the same drug at very different prices.
This matters in 2026 more than ever. The new Part D out-of-pocket cap means you’ll never pay more than $2,000 a year for covered drugs, and the old coverage-gap “donut hole” is gone. The first round of Medicare drug price negotiations also takes effect this year, lowering the negotiated price on widely used medications like Eliquis and Jardiance — though what you actually pay still depends on your plan and that $2,000 cap. The takeaway: match the plan to your drugs, not the other way around.
Predictable costs, or pay-as-you-go?
Think about how you’d rather handle costs. Some people sleep better paying a higher, steady premium and rarely seeing a bill after that — that’s the Medigap style. Others prefer a low premium and are comfortable paying copays as care comes up, knowing the annual maximum caps the worst case — that’s the Medicare Advantage style.
There’s no wrong answer here. It’s about which kind of budgeting fits your life and your comfort with the unknown.
Two rules that apply no matter what
A couple of things hold true on every path:
- Everyone pays the Part B premium — $202.90 a month in 2026. It’s the foundation under both Medicare Advantage and Medigap.
- Have creditable drug coverage. Even if you take nothing today, going without a Part D plan (or built-in Advantage drug coverage) can trigger a lifelong late penalty: 1% of $38.99 for every month you went without. A low-cost plan now protects you from that.
A simple next step
If your head is spinning, that’s normal — this is a lot to weigh. A good way to get your bearings is to take our Medicare Plan Quiz, which turns these questions into a few quick prompts and points you toward the type of plan that tends to fit. From there, comparing real plans against your doctors and drug list is what seals the decision.
When you’re ready to put names and numbers to it, reach out to Bret for a no-pressure conversation. There’s no single best plan — but there is a best fit for you, and a short talk is often all it takes to find it.