A Medicare PPO Plan is a type of Medicare Advantage Plan (Medicare Part C) offered by a private insurance company. PPO Plans have network doctors, other health care providers, and hospitals. You pay less if you use doctors, hospitals, and other health care providers that belong to the plan's network. You pay more if you use doctors, hospitals, and providers outside of the network.

In most cases, you can get your health care from any doctor, other health care provider, or hospital in PPO Plans. Each plan gives you flexibility to go to doctors, specialists, or hospitals that aren't on the plan's list, but it will usually cost more.

In most cases, prescription drugs are covered in PPO Plans. Ask the plan. If you want Medicare drug coverage, you must join a PPO Plan that offers prescription drug coverage. Remember, if you join a PPO Plan that doesn't offer prescription drug coverage, you can't join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Medicare Part D).

You don't need to choose a primary care doctor in PPO Plans.

In most cases, you don't have to get a referral to see a specialist in PPO Plans. If you use plan specialists, your costs for covered services will usually be lower than if you use non-plan specialists.

• A PPO Plan isn't the same as Original Medicare (Medicare Part A and Part B) or a Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy.
• PPO Plans usually offer extra benefits than Original Medicare, but you may have to pay extra for these benefits.
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Medicare Advantage Plans, sometimes called "Part C" or "MA Plans," are an “all in one” alternative to Original Medicare. They are offered by private companies approved by Medicare.  If you join a Medicare Advantage Plan, you still have Medicare.  These "bundled" plans include  Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance), and usually Medicare Prescription Drug plan (Part D).

Medicare Advantage Plans cover all Medicare services.  Some Medicare Advantage Plans also offer extra coverage, like vision, hearing and dental coverage.  

Medicare pays a fixed amount for your care each month to the companies offering Medicare Advantage Plans. These companies must follow rules set by Medicare.Each Medicare Advantage Plan can charge different out-of-pocket costs. They can also have different rules for how you get services, like:

• Whether you need a referral to see a specialist
• If you have to go to doctors, facilities, or suppliers that belong to the plan for non-emergency or non-urgent care
• These rules can change each year.
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What you pay in a Medicare Advantage Plan depends on several factors.

Most Medicare Advantage Plans include Prescription Drug Coverage Medicare Part D). You can join a separate Medicare Prescription Drug Plan with certain types of plans that:

• Can’t offer drug coverage (like Medicare Medical Savings Account plans)
• Choose not to offer drug coverage (like some Private Fee-for-Service plans)You’ll be disenrolled from your Medicare Advantage Plan and returned to Original Medicare if both of these apply:

• You’re in a Medicare Advantage HMO or PPO.
• You join a separate Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

Medigap policies can't work with Medicare Advantage Plans.