We compare the total annual cost of the two ways people typically cover Medicare's gaps: Original Medicare with a supplement (Medigap) plus a standalone drug plan, versus a Medicare Advantage plan. Both paths use the premiums you enter; expected out-of-pocket costs come from your chosen usage level.

Step by step

1. Supplement path: your Medigap premium plus your drug-plan premium × 12, plus a small out-of-pocket allowance — supplements absorb most cost sharing, so this path's spending is steady and premium-driven.
2. Advantage path: your Advantage premium × 12, plus a share of the plan's out-of-pocket maximum that scales with your usage level — low usage spends little of it, heavy usage runs toward the max.
3. We show both paths side by side for one year and for five, so the premium-versus-cost-sharing trade-off is visible at your usage level, not just in the sticker price.

The math

supplementAnnual = (medigapPremium + drugPremium) × 12 + medigapOop(usage); advantageAnnual = advantagePremium × 12 + oopMax × usageFraction(usage); fiveYear = annual × 5.

Sources & assumptions

• Medicare.gov — "How do Medigap plans work?" and "Understanding Medicare Advantage Plans" (coverage-type mechanics, public domain).
• All dollar inputs are yours; the usage-level out-of-pocket assumptions are shown with your results and are tenant-configurable.

Note: Nothing proprietary — the arithmetic is fully described; the only estimates are the disclosed usage-level assumptions.

1. This is an educational comparison of two coverage TYPES using premium and out-of-pocket figures you supplied — it is not a recommendation of any plan or insurer.
2. Real plans differ in networks, drug formularies, extra benefits, and underwriting; premiums and plan terms change every year.
3. Out-of-pocket estimates at each usage level are simplified assumptions shown with your results, not predictions of your actual claims.
4. This tool is not affiliated with or endorsed by Medicare, CMS, or any insurance carrier.