Understanding Medicare
Maximize Your Health Care with Medicare Advantage
At CHRISTUS Health Plan, our Medicare Advantage plans offer more than just basic healthcare. You’ll enjoy comprehensive coverage that goes beyond Original Medicare, including vision, dental, hearing, and even prescription drug coverage. Plus, with additional benefits like On Demand Care, fitness programs, and transportation services, we’re here to help you stay healthy, active, and covered—no matter where life takes you.
Explore how CHRISTUS Health Plan can offer you more benefits, more convenience, and better care under one plan.
5 Reasons to Choose a Medicare Advantage Plan
Medicare Advantage plans provide several key benefits that go beyond Original Medicare:
- Yearly Out-of-Pocket Limit: Once you reach your annual limit for Part A and B services, you pay nothing for covered services for the rest of the year.
- Comprehensive Care: Enjoy additional benefits like vision, hearing, dental, and even prescription drug coverage.
- Unified Coverage: Simplify your health care by consolidating all your coverage (Parts A, B, and D) into one plan.
- Private Insurance Approved by Medicare: These plans are offered by private companies and approved by Medicare, ensuring you get the coverage you need with oversight.
- Coordinated Care Network: Access a network of doctors and specialists for enhanced coordination, improving the quality of care.
How Does Medicare Advantage Compare with Original Medicare?
While Original Medicare covers many medical expenses, it does not cover everything, such as prescription drugs.
A Medicare Advantage plan can provide you with these valuable added benefits:
- Prescription Drug Coverage
- Routine Vision Coverage
- Routine Hearing Exams and Hearing Aid Coverage
- A Limit on Annual Out-of-Pocket Costs
Original Medicare is health insurance provided to seniors by the federal government.
Insurance provided by the federal government offers two parts. When you turn 65 and receive Social Security benefits, you are automatically enrolled in Part A and B.
PART A
Hospital Insurance
Covers hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care.
PART B
Medical Insurance
Covers doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, and medical supplies.
Please Note: You automatically qualify for Part B when you turn 65, but it requires a monthly premium. If you don’t sign up when first eligible (and you're not automatically enrolled), you may pay a late enrollment penalty.
CHRISTUS Health Plan provides additional coverage that Original Medicare does not.
Private insurance companies offer three types of Medicare coverage:
- Medicare Advantage Part C: This plan includes everything Original Medicare covers (Parts A and B) and may offer extra benefits like vision, dental, hearing, and sometimes prescription drug coverage (Part D).
- Medicare Part D: This plan covers prescription drugs and can be added to Original Medicare.
- Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap): This plan helps cover out-of-pocket costs from Original Medicare, like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance. If you have a Medicare Advantage Part C plan, you cannot use a Medigap plan.
So, if you choose Medicare Advantage Part C, it may include Part D for prescriptions, along with extra benefits like vision and dental. If you stay with Original Medicare, you can add a Part D plan for drug coverage and/or a Medigap plan to help cover costs like copayments and deductibles.
Medicare Advantage
PART C
Combines the benefits of PART A and PART B
PART D
Our PART C plans may also include PART D.
Additional Benefits
Vision, dental, hearing aid, and fitness benefits
PART D
Drug Coverage
Plans cover prescription drugs that are not covered by Original Medicare (Parts A and B).
Offered by private insurance companies approved by Medicare.
Plans vary in terms of premiums, deductibles, and copayment amounts.
Medigap
Medicare Supplement Insurance
Helps cover out-of-pocket costs from Original Medicare.
Can’t be used with Medicare Advantage.
Does not cover prescription drugs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage. With CHRISTUS Health Plan, you can get a $0 copay for a 90-day supply of preferred generic drugs through Express Scripts’ mail-order pharmacy.
Some Medicare Advantage plans cover virtual visits. With CHRISTUS Health Plan, you have access to On Demand Care, allowing you to see a clinician within minutes, right from the comfort of your home.
Yes, many Medicare Advantage plans offer dental coverage. At CHRISTUS Health Plan, all of our plans include preventive and comprehensive dental care through our partnership with Delta Dental. You’ll enjoy a $0 copay for preventive services and a $20 copay for non-Medicare covered dental services, with annual maximum benefits ranging from $2,000 to $5,000 depending on your plan.
Yes, some Medicare Advantage plans provide hearing benefits. With a CHRISTUS Health Advantage plan, you get hearing care and hearing instruments through our partnership with Amplifon, including up to a $1,595 benefit towards hearing aids every two years.
Many Medicare Advantage plans offer vision care. With CHRISTUS Health Plan, you receive a yearly routine eye exam and diabetic retinopathy screening, along with an annual hardware allowance ranging from $100 to $300 for glasses or contact lenses.
Yes, fitness benefits are included in many plans. At CHRISTUS Health Plan, members get access to the Silver & Fit program, which includes membership at thousands of fitness centers, access to on-demand workout videos, and a yearly fitness kit with items like a Fitbit or yoga kit.
Yes, many Medicare Advantage plans offer this benefit. CHRISTUS Health Plan provides up to 14 home-delivered meals for members recovering from inpatient surgeries or hospital stays, delivered right to your door, customized to meet your dietary needs.
Yes, transportation benefits are included in some Medicare Advantage plans. With CHRISTUS Health Plan, you can schedule rides to your healthcare appointments through our partnership with SafeRide Health, ensuring you get to your doctor’s visits on time. The benefit includes 48 one-way trips to approved medical appointments within 100 miles.
H1189_WEB25MM3012_M | Last Updated 2/5/25