More often than not, Medicare Advantage plans have no premium. Here’s how free Medicare Advantage works.
Updated Jan 3, 2024 · 1 min read Written by Kate Ashford, CSA® Lead Writer Kate Ashford, CSA®
Lead Writer | Medicare, retirement, personal finance
Kate Ashford is a writer and NerdWallet authority on Medicare. She is a certified senior advisor (CSA)® and has more than 20 years of experience writing about personal finance. Previously, she was a freelance writer for both consumer and business publications, and her work has been published by the BBC, Forbes, Money, AARP, LearnVest and Parents, among others. She has a degree from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism. Kate has appeared as a Medicare expert on the PennyWise podcast by Lee Enterprises, and she's been quoted in national publications including Healthline, Real Simple and SingleCare. She is based in New York.
Reviewed by Debra Nuckols Debra Nuckols
Medicare
Debra Nuckols, a Health Plan Services Consultant at BluePeak Advisors, a Gallagher Benefit Services Inc. division, has been in the managed care industry for 20 years. She specializes in Medicare compliance, corporate compliance, auditing and monitoring, and new-to-Medicare health plan startups. Before becoming a consultant, Debra worked for several national managed care organizations as a Medicare compliance officer, serving as an expert on the matter. In addition to her extensive health plan experience, Debra worked at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS, in the Seattle area, where she oversaw national and local Medicare Advantage plans.
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Is Medicare Advantage free? Sort of. In 2024, 66% of Medicare Advantage plans have no monthly premium, according to KFF , a health policy nonprofit. That means members pay $0 for the plan.
Medicare Advantage plans are a bundled alternative to Original Medicare . They include Medicare Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance) and usually Part D (prescription drugs). They also usually offer additional benefits that aren’t covered under Original Medicare, such as some dental , vision or hearing coverage.
One of the Medicare Advantage plan costs is a monthly premium. For the majority of Medicare Advantage plans, that premium is $0, which means you owe nothing each month. You do, however, still have to pay your Medicare Part B premium, which is $174.70 per month in 2024 .
Free Medicare Advantage plans aren’t actually fully free unless you never seek medical care. Depending on your plan, you may have to pay deductibles, coinsurance or copays when you see a doctor or fill a prescription.
Deductible. This is an amount you pay out of pocket before your Medicare Advantage plan starts to pay for covered services.
Coinsurance. This is a percentage you may have to pay for medical costs, generally after you hit your annual deductible. For instance, you may owe 20% of the cost of a doctor’s visit after you reach your deductible.
Copayment. This is a flat fee you may have to pay for a medical service or drug. For instance, you may have to pay $15 every time you see your primary care physician.
Medicare Advantage plans have an out-of-pocket maximum, which means there’s a cap on the amount you can spend each year. The maximum out-of-pocket limit allowed is $8,850 in 2024 , but some plans have lower limits.
You can use Medicare’s plan comparison tool to search for Medicare Advantage plans. Once you enter your ZIP code and answer a few questions, you can get prices for plans available to you. Although many plans show a $0 premium, it’s important to understand the other costs you’ll pay if you need care. (Click “Plan Details” for more information.)
Here are other questions to consider:
Are your doctors in-network? Many Medicare Advantage plans require you to get care from medical providers and hospitals in their network.
Are your prescriptions covered? Prescription coverage can change from year to year, so check a plan’s coverage each year during Medicare open enrollment.
What other benefits are available? Does the plan offer vision, dental or hearing coverage? How much?You may find that two $0-premium plans are very different, so make sure you’ve done some comparisons before you sign up.
MEDICARE ADVANTAGE is an alternative to traditional Medicare offered by private health insurers. Compare options from our Medicare Advantage roundup .
Best for size of network
Best for low-cost plans
Best for extra perks
Best for local support
Star ratings from CMS and on a 5-★ scale.
Medicare Advantage plan availability varies by location. Click on a state on the map below to see the best Medicare Advantage plans available in that state.
There are a few periods when you can sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan :
Initial enrollment period: This is your first chance to enroll in Medicare and generally includes your 65th birthday month plus the three months before and after it.
General enrollment period: If you miss your initial enrollment period, you can sign up for Original Medicare or Medicare Advantage from Jan. 1 to March 31 each year. Your coverage will start the month after you sign up, and you may owe late penalties.
Special enrollment period: You may qualify for a special enrollment period if certain situations apply, such as moving out of your plan’s service area or losing your employer group health coverage.
Once you’ve signed up for a Medicare Advantage plan, you can switch plans during Medicare open enrollment from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 each year. You can also switch during Medicare Advantage open enrollment from Jan. 1 to March 31 each year, but only if you already have a Medicare Advantage plan. Special enrollment periods continue to apply if any of the relevant situations happen to you.
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Kate Ashford is a certified senior advisor (CSA)® and personal finance writer at NerdWallet specializing in Medicare and retirement topics. See full bio.
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