The interactive map
Medicare in three steps — not four letters.
Medicare gets taught as an alphabet — A, B, C, D — as if the letters were the decision. They aren't. The real decision is a three-step walk: everyone gets A and B, then you pick one of two paths, then you handle prescription drugs. Walk the steps below. Click any element to see what it covers, what it costs, and where it connects.
Each box below is clickable. Tap one, and the panel at the bottom updates with the details.
Everyone on Medicare gets Parts A and B
The federal program. Same rules in every state. This is the foundation everything else builds on.
Then pick one of two paths
This is the biggest Medicare decision most people ever make. Both paths are legitimate. The right one depends on your doctors, your travel, and how you want to handle costs.
Path 1
Keep Original Medicare. Add Medigap.
You stay on the federal program. Medigap covers most of the out-of-pocket gaps. Any provider who accepts Medicare, anywhere in the U.S.
Drugs: added separately (see Step 3).
Path 2
Let a private plan run it. Medicare Advantage.
A private insurer takes over your Medicare. Often lower premium, tied to a provider network, usually needs referrals. Annual out-of-pocket cap by law.
Drugs: almost always built into the plan.
Handle prescription drugs
Drugs you fill at a pharmacy aren't covered by Original Medicare. How you get drug coverage depends on the path you picked in Step 2.
On Path 1: you enroll in a standalone Part D plan alongside your Medigap.
On Path 2: Part D is almost always built into your Medicare Advantage plan — you don't add it separately.
Step 2, continued
How to tell which path fits you.
Quick heuristics — not prescriptions. Your real answer still depends on running your specific doctors and drugs through Medicare.gov's Plan Finder. But these are the factors that matter most for almost everyone.
If you…
Want predictable costs and don't mind a higher premium
Medigap caps what you pay out-of-pocket. You know your bill in advance. Path 1 usually fits.
→ Path 1If you…
Travel often or split the year between states
Original Medicare + Medigap works with any provider who accepts Medicare, anywhere in the U.S. Advantage networks are usually regional.
→ Path 1If you…
Have confirmed in-network doctors and want the lowest monthly cost
Many Advantage plans have $0 premium on top of Part B and include extras like dental and vision.
→ Path 2If you…
Take several expensive prescriptions
Run your drug list through Medicare.gov's Plan Finder for both paths before deciding. Drug costs can easily outweigh any premium difference.
→ Either path — run the numbersIf you…
Are in your 6-month Medigap window
Path 1 is wide open at your best-health rate right now. After this window, insurers in most states can medically underwrite you. Don't let the window close by accident.
→ Path 1 (decide this year)If you…
Are still working with good employer coverage
The "path" choice may not be this year's decision. Part B can wait; the rest of the framework will apply when you actually retire.
→ Not yet — revisit at retirementNeither path is universally better. The decision framework above rules in or out — it doesn't rule for you.
Now that the parts make sense
What to read next.
The industry
The Medicare agent intake script — by a licensed agent who ran it
Now that you know the parts, here's what an agent will do with them — the opener, the "needs assessment," the close. The sales script, explained.
Free PDF
The Medicare Decision Map — 12 questions to answer first
A printable PDF that turns the framework above into a checklist you can fill in at the kitchen table. Delivered in 2 minutes.
About
Why a licensed agent is telling you you don't need one
The editorial line this site will and won't cross — and the credentials behind everything you've just read.
Ready to go deeper?
The 12 questions to answer before you enroll.
A printable PDF that walks through your specific situation — your doctors, your drugs, your timeline — so you can pick a path with confidence. Free, delivered in 2 minutes.