Medigap vs Medicare Advantage in 2026: The Five Differences That Decide It

You probably think choosing between Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement is complicated. It comes down to five differences. That is the whole thing.

Both start in the same place

You enrol in Original Medicare — Part A and Part B.

Part A costs nothing if you have 40 quarters of work in, which is about ten years. Part B has a premium, $202.90 a month in 2026, and you keep paying it either way.

Original Medicare covers roughly 80% of your covered costs. The other 20% is on you, and there is no cap on it.

These two options are just different ways to handle that 20%.

Difference one: your doctors

Advantage gives you a network, and some care needs the plan to approve it before you get it.

A Supplement lets you see any doctor in the country who takes Medicare. If you travel, or you spend part of the year somewhere else, that one is big.

Difference two: the monthly cost

Advantage is often low, sometimes zero. A Supplement runs roughly $110 to $220 a month.

Over a year that is a thousand dollars or more.

Difference three: what happens when you actually get sick

With a Supplement like Plan G, you pay the Part B deductible — $283 in 2026 — and after that you are essentially covered.

With Advantage you pay copays as you go, up to your plan’s out-of-pocket maximum. In 2026 that can reach $9,250.

Difference four: your drugs

Advantage plans that cover drugs build Part D right in, and most of them do. With a Supplement you buy a drug plan separately, around $35 a month.

Either way, what you pay out of pocket for covered drugs stops at $2,100 in 2026.

Difference five: switching later — the one nobody mentions

When you first sign up for Part B you get six months where a Supplement has to take you, with no health questions.

After those six months, the insurance company can look at your health history and turn you down.

Advantage you can change every year, October 15th through December 7th.

So the door that closes is the Supplement door.

In a breath

Advantage costs less every month but more when you use it, and the network can change.

A Supplement costs more every month but stays predictable when you are sick, and it works anywhere.

Which one fits comes down to your budget, your health, and how much you travel. There is no universally better answer, and most of the people I sit down with are on Advantage plans and are covered perfectly well.

Want help working out which side you land on? Call or text me at 941-412-2362.

Educational only. Not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program.