Medicare Advantage Plans in Colorado

Medicare comes in four parts: A, B, C and D. Part A and B, original Medicare, offer benefits for hospital stays, outpatient services, home health, hospice and preventive care. Part D offers prescription drug coverage only. Part C, usually called Medicare Advantage, allows beneficiaries to combine their Part A and B benefits with additional ones such as hearing, vision or prescription medications. Medicare Advantage is sold through private companies and differs from state to state. In Colorado, Medicare Advantage is overseen by the Insurance Division of the state Department of Regulatory Agencies.

Types

• Many Medicare Advantage plans are health-maintenance organization (HMO) policies, which require members to choose a primary-care physician and get all medical services from providers who are part of the network. Others are preferred-provider organization (PPO) plans, which allow you to go out of network if you agree to pay higher costs. Colorado insurance companies also offer private fee-for-service MA plans, where customers can go to any provider who agrees to its payment terms, and special-needs plans meant for residents who are either using both Medicare and Medicaid or who live in an institution.

Service Areas

• Not all Medicare Advantage plans are offered throughout Colorado. Most insurance companies sell their plans according to county, especially since health insurance policies that use networks must make sure all their providers are within a certain amount of miles of their members. If you move from one service area to another and your new area does not offer your existing plan, you will have to choose a new one with the same company or change insurance companies.

Benefits

• The exact benefits you will get from your Medicare Advantage plan depends on the company you get it from and the specific plan you purchase. Extra benefits may include hearing, vision and/or dental care. The Colorado Department of Regulatory Services has a list of Medicare Advantage plans that all offer prescription drug coverage in its publication "Medicare Drug Insurance Plans and You 2011." Colorado Access, a managed-care plan for residents who have both Medicare and Medicaid in the Denver area, offers coverage for dental care, hearing aids and eyeglasses as well, with no copayments or deductibles.

Premiums

• Your monthly premiums will also depend on which company you get your Medicare Advantage policy from. Some have no premiums while others can cost hundreds of dollars per month. In 2011, The Rocky Mountain Plus Plan + Rx has a monthly premium of $246.20 in many counties, while the Rocky Mountain Standard Plan + Rx is only $99.10. Humana's HumanChoice and Gold Choice are less than $60 per month, while Kaiser Permanente's Senior Advantage Core has no monthly premium.