1. You are still enrolled in the Medicare Program.

2. You still have Medicare rights and protections.

3. You still get complete Part A and Part B coverage through the plan. Some plans offer extra benefits that Original Medicare does not cover – like vision, hearing, or dental.

4. Your out-of-pocket costs generally will be lower in a Medicare Advantage Plan than in Original Medicare.

5. You cannot buy (and do not need) a Medigap at the same time.

6. You can only join a plan at certain times during the year unless you meet certain Special Enrollment qualifications.

7. You can join a Medicare Advantage Plan even if you have a pre-existing condition.

8. You can check with the plan before you get a service to find out if it is covered and what your costs may be.

9. If in an HMO plan your Primary Care Physician (PCP) is generally your gatekeeper if you need referrals or a second opinion.

10. Go to a doctor, other health care provider, facility, or supplier that belongs to the plan's network, so your services are covered, and your costs are less.

11. Providers can join or leave a plan’s provider network anytime during the year. Your plan can also change the providers in the network anytime during the year.

12. Your provider leaving the network does not trigger an enrollment period for you to choose a new plan. If this happens, you may need to choose a new provider.

13. Medicare Advantage Plans can't charge more than Original Medicare for certain services like chemotherapy, dialysis, and skilled nursing facility care.

14. Medicare Advantage Plans have a yearly limit on your out-of-pocket costs for medical services. Once you reach this limit, you will pay nothing for covered services. Each plan can have a different limit, and the limit can change each year.

15. If the plan decides to stop participating in Medicare, you'll have to join another Medicare health plan or return to Original Medicare.