General Discussion

My understanding is that MA plans are great if you don't have a serious illness, like cancer. Many plans are $0 premium, and come with perks like gym memberships. You'll likely be limited to a network, however, which can change yearly.

If you choose an MA plan and later develop a serious illness such as cancer, you may be on the hook for a lot of money in copays/coinsurance. With original Medicare (Part A & Part B), plus a medigap plan (that covers the 20% of costs that original Medicare doesn't cover), those costs will be paid for. With an MA plan, possibly not.

And (again, my understanding), if you want to switch from an MA plan to an Original Medicare w/ Medigap plan, you'll have to go through medical underwriting. That is, you'll have to answer health questions, and you may be disqualified from the OG Medicare system depending on your answers.

I live in New York, and I believe we don't have that particular requirement here, which I'm grateful for.