One wrong plan can cost you your doctor, your pharmacy, or thousands in bills you never expected. Here's every option — explained honestly, with no sales spin. Mary's guidance is $0 to you.
Most people pick based on what their neighbor chose — and regret it within 12 months. Here's what the decision actually comes down to, then let Mary map it to your specific doctors, budget, and prescriptions.
Best for: freedom, travel, complex care
Best for: low premium, extra benefits, local care
The government-issued foundation — and it has serious gaps. No out-of-pocket maximum. No drug coverage. No dental or vision. Original Medicare alone is a starting point, not a finish line. This is exactly why everyone needs a secondary plan.
Covers inpatient hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, hospice, and some home health care.
Covers doctor visits, outpatient care, preventive services, durable medical equipment, and mental health services.
All-in-one plans that replace Original Medicare — often at $0 per month. Bundled dental, vision, hearing, and drug coverage on one card. The trade-off: you must stay in-network. Mary verifies your doctors are in before recommending anything.
Many Advantage plans in Arizona offer $0 monthly premiums. You still pay your Part B premium to Medicare, but the plan itself costs nothing extra.
Benefits not covered by Original Medicare. Many Advantage plans bundle these into the plan at no extra cost.
Monthly grocery credits, utility bill assistance, transportation to doctors, over-the-counter allowances, and SilverSneakers fitness membership.
Most Advantage plans include Part D drug coverage (MAPD plans), so you only need one card for all your healthcare needs.
Unlike Original Medicare, Advantage plans have a maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) limit. Once you hit it, the plan pays 100% of covered services.
HMO and PPO options. Mary verifies your specific doctors are in-network before recommending any Advantage plan.
The plan for people who refuse to gamble with their healthcare. See any doctor in America who accepts Medicare. No network. No referrals. No prior authorizations. Just coverage — everywhere you go, for the rest of your life.
The gold standard for comprehensive coverage. Pays everything after Medicare except the Part B deductible. Best for those who want maximum coverage and minimal billing surprises.
Lower monthly premiums than Plan G. Covers most costs but you'll have small copays for doctor visits and may owe Part B excess charges at some providers.
| Benefit | Plan A | Plan B | Plan D | Plan G ★ | Plan K | Plan L | Plan M | Plan N ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part A Coinsurance & Hospital Costs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| Part B Coinsurance / Copayment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | Copay |
| Blood (First 3 Pints) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| Part A Hospice Coinsurance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| Skilled Nursing Facility | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
| Part A Deductible | — | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | 50% | ✓ |
| Part B Excess Charges | — | — | — | ✓ | — | — | — | — |
| Foreign Travel Emergency | — | — | ✓ | ✓ | — | — | ✓ | ✓ |
Skip this and you'll pay a permanent penalty for every year you live. Enroll even if you take no medications today. The 2026 overhaul just capped your annual drug costs at $2,000 — the biggest beneficiary win in a generation.
Starting in 2026, the most you will ever pay for prescription drugs in a year is capped at $2,000. The "Donut Hole" (Coverage Gap) phase has been officially eliminated.
Deductible Phase: The amount you pay before your plan starts to share costs. Many plans have $0 deductibles.
Initial Coverage: You and your plan share costs for each prescription filled until the $2,000 cap is reached.
Mary analyzes your current medications to ensure they're on the 2026 formulary at the lowest possible tier. Tier 1 generics cost far less than Tier 5 specialty drugs.
The late-enrollment penalty is permanent — 1% added to your premium for every month you went without creditable coverage. A 12-month gap means 12% more, every year, for life. A basic Part D plan often costs under $20/month. The penalty can run $500–$1,200+ per year, compounding forever.
"But I don't take any medications." Mary has heard this from hundreds of clients. She enrolls every single one in Part D anyway. Health changes overnight. Penalties don't go away.
The Medicare Prescription Payment Plan (M3P) lets you spread your out-of-pocket drug costs across monthly installments instead of paying all at once. Great for high-cost specialty medications.
Ask Mary About M3PIf you have both Medicare and Arizona Medicaid (AHCCCS), you may qualify for some of the richest benefits available — grocery credits, transportation, dental, near-zero copays, and quarterly plan flexibility. Most people who qualify have never been told they qualify. Mary finds them.
Many D-SNP plans offer significant credits for healthy food, groceries, over-the-counter items, and transportation to doctors' appointments.
Dual eligible individuals can often change their plans once per quarter rather than waiting for the year-end open enrollment period.
D-SNP plans coordinate your Medicare and AHCCCS benefits into one streamlined plan, reducing paperwork and eliminating coordination gaps.
Life changes your Medicare options. Most people don't know that a move, a job loss, or a Medicaid status change opens a window to act — and they miss it. Mary tracks these dates for her clients so no qualifying moment slips by.
You've read the options. Now let Mary map them to your actual doctors, your actual prescriptions, and your actual budget — in one free conversation. No obligation. No pressure. Just a clear answer.