Free tools to estimate what a plan actually costs, compare Advantage vs Medigap, and find your enrollment windows. No jargon.
Your estimated annual Medicare cost
Understand what a plan really costs before you enroll.
Estimate your real annual cost, premiums plus out-of-pocket.
Get the figure →Compare total yearly cost of an Advantage plan vs Medigap.
Get the figure →See how much you could pay before your plan's cap kicks in.
Get the figure →Your IEP, AEP and other Medicare sign-up windows.
Get the figure →A $0-premium Advantage plan can still cost thousands once you add the Part B premium, copays, and coinsurance. These tools add it all up, and show you the out-of-pocket cap that applies in a bad year.
Start with the cost calculator if you already have a plan quote in hand and just want the real annual number, premium plus Part B plus expected out-of-pocket. Start with the Advantage vs Medigap calculator instead if you have not picked a path yet and want to see both total costs side by side, including a standalone Part D plan on the Medigap side. If you are already enrolled in Advantage and want to know how a bad year would hit your wallet, the out-of-pocket maximum calculator turns your plan's yearly cap into a specific month. And if the question is not cost but timing, whether you can enroll or change plans right now, the enrollment period calculator gives you the window and the closing date.
People juggling more than one question tend to run two tools back to back: the cost calculator for a healthy-year estimate, then the out-of-pocket maximum calculator for what a bad year would add. That pairing shows both ends of the range a single plan can produce.
Take a plan with a $0 monthly premium. Run it through the cost calculator: Part B premium at the 2026 standard rate of $202.90 a month, and expected out-of-pocket of $2,800 for a fairly typical year. The calculator's math is simple addition, plan premium times 12, plus Part B times 12, plus out-of-pocket capped at the plan's MOOP. Here, that is $0 in plan premiums, $2,434.80 in Part B premiums, and $2,800 in out-of-pocket, for a total of $5,234.80 for the year. Nobody pays "$0" on a $0-premium plan; the Part B premium alone is the largest line item in this example.
Now change one input: a bad year where out-of-pocket spending hits the plan's cap. CMS sets the 2026 Medicare Advantage in-network out-of-pocket ceiling at $9,250, though most plans set their own cap lower. Feed $9,250 into the out-of-pocket field and the same $0-premium plan totals $0 plus $2,434.80 plus $9,250, or $11,684.80, still without a single dollar of plan premium. That gap, roughly $6,450 between a typical year and a capped-out year on the identical plan, is the number the premium alone never shows you.
Every dollar figure that feeds the calculators on this site is either a 2026 CMS figure, sourced and dated on the 2026 Cost and Enrollment Reference page, or a number you type in yourself, like your own plan's premium or your expected spending. We do not estimate or average what a "typical" plan costs; the calculators total the inputs you give them using the same addition and capping logic Medicare itself uses for the out-of-pocket maximum. Where a figure changes every year, such as the Part B premium or the MOOP ceiling, we cite the specific CMS release and its publication date rather than repeating a prior year's number. If you plug in your own plan's numbers and the total still confuses you, that confusion is usually a real feature of the plan, not a mistake in the arithmetic.
Authoritative U.S. government sources for further reading and to verify the figures on this page:
The biggest disadvantage is network restrictions. Medicare Advantage plans typically limit you to a network of doctors and hospitals, so you may need referrals to see specialists and could face higher costs or no coverage if you go out of network. Original Medicare lets you see any provider that accepts Medicare, nationwide. Always review a plan's network before enrolling. Visit Medicare.gov for details.
Original Medicare (Parts A and B) is run directly by the federal government and covers hospital and medical services from any Medicare-accepting provider. Medicare Advantage (Part C) is offered by private insurers approved by Medicare and bundles the same core benefits, often adding vision, dental, and drug coverage. Trade-offs include provider networks and prior authorization requirements. Compare options at Medicare.gov during Open Enrollment.
There is no single best plan for everyone. The right choice depends on your doctors, prescriptions, location, and budget. Medicare rates plans using a 5-star system, so higher-rated plans generally deliver better care and service. Use the Medicare Plan Finder at Medicare.gov to compare plans available in your zip code, including costs, covered drugs, and network providers.
Medicare covers many Alzheimer's-related services, including doctor visits, hospital stays, skilled nursing facility care, home health services, and cognitive assessments during the annual wellness visit. Part D covers most Alzheimer's medications. Medicare does not cover long-term custodial care such as assisted living or personal care at home. For complete coverage details, consult Medicare.gov or a licensed Medicare counselor (SHIP).
Premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket caps are set annually and change most years. Re-run these calculators each Annual Election Period (October 15 to December 7) with your new plan's numbers rather than trusting last year's total, since a plan that was cheaper in 2026 may not stay that way in 2027.