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Advantage vs Medigap Calculator
Compare the total yearly cost of both paths.
By Naomi Foster, Contributing Writer, Healthcare
Updated July 2, 2026
Updated July 2, 2026
Compare the total yearly cost of both paths.
Educational estimate. Not insurance advice, confirm with plan documents.
We total Advantage premiums plus expected out-of-pocket, then compare that to Medigap premiums plus a Part D plan plus its small out-of-pocket, and show which is cheaper for your assumptions.
Run the calculator's own starting numbers and Advantage comes out ahead: a $0 plan premium plus $2,800 in expected out-of-pocket spending totals $2,800 a year, against $2,650 for a $160 Medigap premium, $250 in Medigap out-of-pocket costs, and a $40 Part D premium. That is a $150 edge for Advantage in a fairly ordinary year.
Raise the Advantage side's expected out-of-pocket to $9,000, the kind of year a hospital stay or major procedure can produce, and the Medigap side barely moves, since its premium and small out-of-pocket figure stay fixed regardless of how much care gets used. Advantage jumps to $9,000 for the year while Medigap plus Part D stays at $2,650, a swing of $6,350 in Medigap's favor. That gap is the entire argument for paying more upfront with Medigap.
Every tool here runs in your browser and never asks for your personal details.
Medicare Advantage usually has a low or $0 premium, but you pay as you go: copays for each visit, up to a yearly cap. Medigap (Medicare Supplement) reverses that arrangement. A higher monthly premium buys near-zero costs when you actually need care, and you add a standalone Part D drug plan. Advantage often costs less in healthy years; Medigap tends to protect more in expensive ones.
Advantage plans use networks and can require referrals and prior authorizations; Medigap lets you see any doctor that accepts Medicare, anywhere in the country. Switching from Advantage back to Medigap later can require medical underwriting in most states, so the first choice matters more than the initial price gap might suggest.
Neither side of this calculator accounts for plan extras like dental, vision, or hearing coverage that many Advantage plans bundle in, or for the fact that Medigap premiums vary by insurer and by state rating rules. Treat the totals here as a cost comparison only, not a full benefits comparison.
It depends on the year you have. Advantage plans usually win on paper in a healthy year, since the premium is often lower or zero. Medigap tends to pull ahead once you have a hospital stay or a run of specialist visits, because its own out-of-pocket costs stay small no matter how much care you use.
Yes. Medigap policies are supplemental only; they don't include prescription drug coverage, so anyone choosing that path needs a separate standalone Part D plan on top of the Medigap premium, which is why this tool adds a Part D line to the Medigap side of the comparison.
Only with some risk. Moving from Medicare Advantage to Medigap after your first enrollment window often triggers medical underwriting, meaning an insurer can charge more, add exclusions, or decline coverage based on your health. That's why comparing both paths before you first enroll matters more than the sticker price alone.
No, it's a comparison tool built from the numbers you enter, not a recommendation. Talk with a licensed agent or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program before choosing between Advantage and Medigap.
Once you know which side wins on paper, size up the worst-case number with the out-of-pocket maximum calculator, or check whether you're even in the right enrollment window with the sign-up period calculator. The 2026 cost and enrollment reference has the sourced federal figures behind both paths.