Individual Medicare Advantage Plans are health plan options that are part of the Medicare program.  If you join one of these plans, you generally get all your Medicare-covered health care through that plan.  This coverage can include prescription drug coverage.

Individual Medicare Advantage Plans include:

• Medicare Health Maintenace Organization (HMOs)
• Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
• Private Fee-for-Service Plans
• Medicare Special Needs Plans

When you join an Individual Medicare Advantage Plan, you use the health insurance card that you get from the plan for your health care.  In most of these plans, generally there are extra benefits and lower copayments than in the original Medicare Plan.  However, you may have to see doctors that belong to the plan or go to certain hospitals to get services.

To join an Individual Medicare Advantage Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B.  You will have to pay your monthly Medicare Part B premium to Medicare. In addition, you might have to pay a monthly premium to your Medicare Advantage Plan for the extra benefits that they offer.

If you join an Individual Medicare Advantage Plan, your Medigap policy won't work.  This means it won't pay any deductibles, copayments or other cost-sharing under your Medicare Health Plan.  Therefore, you may want to drop your Medigap policy if you join an Individual Medicare Advantage Plan. However, you have a legal right to keep the Medigap policy.

Click below for available plans from Aetna and Horizon BCBSNJ:

For assistance with Individual Health plans, please contact Colin Scheifler at (800)237-4009 ext. 123 or via email at colinscheifler@savoyassociates.com.