Medicare basics · Greenville & Greer, SC
Choose Medicare Advantage if you want one plan with a lower monthly premium, are comfortable using a local network, and don’t mind copays when you get care. Choose a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) with a Part D plan if you want to see any doctor who takes Medicare, travel often, and prefer predictable costs in exchange for a higher monthly premium.
| Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement | |
|---|---|
| How it works | Advantage (Part C): a private plan replaces Original Medicare and bundles Parts A and B, usually with drug coverage. Supplement: works alongside Original Medicare and pays some or most of what Medicare doesn’t. |
| Doctors and hospitals | Advantage: usually an HMO or PPO network; referrals and prior authorization may apply. Supplement: any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that accepts Medicare, no referrals. |
| Monthly premium | Advantage: often low, and some plans have no premium beyond your Part B premium. Supplement: higher, and you add a separate Part D premium. |
| Costs when you get care | Advantage: copays and coinsurance as you go, capped by a yearly out-of-pocket limit for in-network care. Supplement: little or nothing, depending on the plan letter. |
| Prescription drugs | Advantage: most plans include Part D. Supplement: buy a stand-alone Part D plan. |
| Dental, vision, hearing | Advantage: many plans include some extra benefits. Supplement: not included; buy separate coverage if you need it. |
| Travel | Advantage: emergency care is covered anywhere in the U.S.; routine care is usually local. Supplement: works nationwide, and several plan letters include limited emergency coverage abroad. |
| Switching later | Advantage: you can change plans each fall, October 15 – December 7. Supplement: after your first 6-month Medigap window, insurers can usually ask health questions. |
Both paths start the same way: you sign up for Medicare Part A and Part B and keep paying your Part B premium. The choice is what you add on top.
Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is the 6 months starting the month you’re 65 or older and enrolled in Part B. During those 6 months, insurers must sell you any Medigap policy they offer, regardless of your health. After that, they can usually ask health questions, charge more or turn you down.
There are a few federal exceptions, called guaranteed-issue rights. One is the trial right: if you join a Medicare Advantage plan when you first get Medicare at 65, or drop a Medigap policy to try Medicare Advantage for the first time, you can usually switch back to Original Medicare and buy a Supplement within the first 12 months without health questions.
Thinking about leaving Medicare Advantage for a Supplement? Get approved for the Supplement before you drop anything, so you’re never left with Original Medicare alone.
Poston Health & Medicare Solutions is a locally owned, independent agency at 4115 E North St in Greenville. We’ll compare Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and Part D plans from the insurance companies we represent, check your doctors and drugs, and handle the enrollment, in person or by phone. Our Medicare help is free to you. New to Medicare? Start with our Medicare basics page or the 2027 Medicare Open Enrollment guide.
Sources: Medicare.gov, Your Medicare coverage choices; Medicare.gov, Medigap. Updated October 2026.
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No. A Medicare Supplement only works with Original Medicare. If you join a Medicare Advantage plan, a Medigap policy won’t pay any of your costs, and it’s illegal for anyone to sell you one if they know you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan.
It depends on how much care you use. Medicare Advantage usually costs less each month, but you pay copays as you go, up to the plan’s yearly limit. A Supplement costs more each month but leaves little to pay when you need care.
Yes, but you may not be accepted. You can leave Medicare Advantage for Original Medicare during the fall enrollment period, October 15 – December 7. Outside your first 6-month Medigap window and certain guaranteed-issue situations, Supplement insurers in South Carolina can usually ask health questions and decline you.
No. Medigap plans fill gaps in Original Medicare, which generally doesn’t cover routine dental, vision or hearing care. Many Medicare Advantage plans include some of these extras, or you can buy separate dental and vision coverage.
No. Our Medicare comparisons and enrollment help are free, and your premium is the same whether you enroll with us or on your own.
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