Medicare Part C or Medicare Advantage is often inclusive of all types of Medicare coverage. Private insurance companies contracted through CMS offer Medicare Part C as an alternative to Original Medicare.

Obtaining a Medicare Advantage Plan requires enrollment to Original Medicare, Part A, and Part B. You also may have to continue to pay your Part B premium if you have a Medicare Advantage plan.

While Medicare Advantage plans are required to provide all Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B benefits (except hospice care), plans can also include different additional benefits, which vary among the individual private health insurers. A number of Medicare Advantage plans include prescription drug coverage called Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plans.

Some plans might have a lower deductible, while also allowing you to pay a smaller share of the remaining costs. Medicare Advantage plans may even cover certain health care services that Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, does not cover, like eye exams, hearing aids, dental care, or health care provided while traveling outside the United States.

Medicare Part D is called optional prescription drug coverage. Private insurance companies offer Medicare Part D as a standalone prescription drug plan. You will have to shoulder a portion of the costs of your prescription drugs, depending on the specific plan you’re enrolled in.

Those costs can include a deductible, a flat copayment amount, or a percentage of the full drug cost (called “coinsurance”).

If you want prescription drug coverage, you can get it through a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan if there’s one in your area that offers this coverage.

If your income cannot afford medications even though you are covered by Medicare Part D benefits, you may qualify for the Extra Help program. This offers financial aid for your monthly premium, deductible, copayment, or coinsurance.