Medicare Supplement vs Advantage Calculator 2026
Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plus Original Medicare costs $200-400/month premium but minimal out-of-pocket. Medicare Advantage often has $0 premium but high cost-sharing. This tool computes total annual cost under both plans for typical health scenarios.
Medigap vs Advantage — Core Difference
Medigap (Medicare Supplement) fills gaps in Original Medicare Parts A + B: deductibles, copays, coinsurance. Pay higher monthly premium ($150-$350) but minimal out-of-pocket cost. Medicare Advantage (Part C) replaces Original Medicare with private plan: usually lower premium ($0-$50) but higher cost-sharing — copays, deductibles, network restrictions.
Why Heavy Users Often Prefer Medigap
Hospital stay: Original Medicare + Plan G = $0 OOP. Same stay under Advantage = $350-$500/day copay (up to $5-10K plan max). Frequent specialist visits: Medigap has no per-visit copay. Frequent Rx: Part D + Medigap separate from Advantage's all-in-one. Heavy healthcare users save thousands per year on Medigap.
When Advantage Wins
Three scenarios: (1) Healthy, infrequent care user — premium savings exceed occasional copays. (2) Want included extras — dental, vision, hearing, gym membership often bundled. (3) Comfortable with HMO network — willing to use in-network doctors. (4) Tight on monthly budget — $0 premium frees cash flow. Choice depends on usage and risk tolerance.
Source: CMS Medicare 2026 Costs at a Glance, Medicare.gov Plan Finder. Last updated: May 2026.