This is one of the higher-stakes decisions your parent will make in retirement. Most families treat it like picking a cell phone plan.
The choice between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage shapes how your parent gets care, what it costs, which doctors they can see, how easily they can travel, and — when health declines — whether the system will say yes or no to the next thing they need. It’s reversible in theory and surprisingly sticky in practice. And most adult children only get involved in the decision after their parent has been on whatever plan they’re on for years.
This post is the version of the conversation you can have now, before the next Annual Enrollment Period, when the choice is most fluid. What Original Medicare is. What Medicare Advantage is. The tradeoffs that actually matter for caregivers. And the trap that catches families when they try to switch back.
[Read more…] about Pros and Cons of Medicare Advantage vs Original Medicare