Health · Chapter 17 · Medicare Basics
Original Medicare vs Medicare Advantage
Definition
Original (A+B): federal fee-for-service, any provider nationwide, no referrals, NO out-of-pocket maximum, no drugs (buy Part D), pairs with Medigap. Advantage (C): private networked plans (HMO/PPO), annual out-of-pocket cap, usually includes drugs + extras (dental/vision/hearing), limited service area — and cannot be combined with Medigap.
In plain English
Original = go anywhere, gaps everywhere. Advantage = one bundled plan, stay in the network.
Easy to confuse with
These are what this term gets tested against — if you can't tell them apart cold, drill the contrast.
Related terms