AARP Medicare Advantage plan is an insurance cover offered by private companies to cover health services included under original Medicare. You have to understand that original Medicare is covered by the federal government and offers hospital insurance under Part A and medical insurance under Part B.

In addition to original cover, it is useful to get your insurance from private entities under Part C that is Medicare Advantage plans. Private companies may be able to provide the insurance cover, but it is still regulated under Medicare.

Types of Medicare Advantage providers
Part C features a range of coordinated care plans across a network of Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO), Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO), low cost Point of Service (POS), and other Special Needs Plans (SNP).

Additionally, Private Fee-For-Service (PFFS) plans and Medical Savings Account (MSA) Plans provide better flexibility of options in terms of insurance and payments.

Coverage options for AARP Medicare Advantage plans
One has to keep in mind that even if the insurance is provided by a private vendor, these plans cover a number of aspects included in original Medicare. It is great for people who don’t have exclusive Part A and B coverage.

• Your HMO or PPO advantage plans cover everything including lab tests, inpatient hospital care, the cost of skilled nursing, hospice, cost of surgery, and even home care expenses. These are all the benefits that come under original Part A insurance for Medicare.
• Private party insurance under these plans also pays for your doctor visits, preventative care, purchase of essential medical equipment, outpatient care, and home health care. These are the benefits that you enjoy under original Medicare Part B.
• While original Medicare is a Federal benefit given for all those who are eligible under the scheme, Parts A and B still don’t cover expenses for dental care, eye checkup, hearing assistance, and other wellness/fitness programs. Fortunately, most HMO and PPO providers cater to these medical services under AARP Medicare Advantage plans.
• Most HMO and PPO plans also provide coverage for prescription medications.

Private insurance companies reserve the right to change and modify the costs of premiums, deductibles, and copays every calendar year. So in case you want to opt for a different HMO or PPO, you only have to compare AARP Medicare Advantage plans during the open enrollment period every year.