How can I verify if a Medicare Advantage plan's advertised benefits are legit?

Question

Clarence &quot;Mark&quot; Christiansen · Accepted Answer

CMS, Centers for Medicare Services, overseas the Medicare Part C Advantage program. By law, Medicare Advantage plans must be at least as good as Medicare, which is to say that all plans are better than original Medicare. CMS will shut down any plan advertising benefits that are not real. "They've got your back!"

Answered by Clarence "Mark" Christiansen on March 31, 2025

Agent Licensed in WI, AZ, CA & 16 other states

Answered by Clarence "Mark" Christiansen Medicare Insurance Agent

Alondra Arce · Answer

Honestly, the best way is to go straight to the source. I usually check the plan details on Pverify or call the insurance company directly. You can also ask a licensed agent (like me!) to double-check everything for you, some ads make things sound better than they really are, so it’s always good to verify.

Answered by Alondra Arce on April 14, 2025

Agent Licensed in CA, AL, AR & 14 other states

Answered by Alondra Arce Medicare Insurance Agent

Diana Garner · Answer

Rely on official resources such as Medicare.gov or HealthCare.gov.  

Be wary of unsolicited calls or emails claiming to be from Medicare.

Review plan documents such as the plan's complete Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage (EOC). The EOC is a legally binding document outlining coverage in the plan.

Leslie Helene Sussman · Answer

I would check with a local Medicare broker and have them review a plan's benefits.    You can also check in your Summary of Benefits guide - this is available for every Medicare Advantage plan.

Tasha Riggs · Answer

Many advertising is a marketing tactic to get you to call them. I would avoid calling numbers on TV and avoid answering calls you did not request. I would find an actual broker with good reviews on google to speak to. Some of those benefits are available and some only for certain clients. If you ask from April to September they cant pressure you into a sale since it is not open enrollment so that maybe a good time to ask questions with out being pressured.

Answered by Tasha Riggs on March 26, 2025

Broker Licensed in CO, AZ, HI & 10 other states

Answered by Tasha Riggs Medicare Insurance Agent

John L Herman Jr · Answer

The State you live in has given the Insurance Carrier a opportunity to sell their Plans and hold all of them to the standard of honest representation of what they provide.  Check their complaints and you will see what others on that Plan have to say about the service they eceive.

No State would allow any misrepresentation of a Carriers Plan.

Sean Davis · Answer

To verify if a Medicare Advantage plan’s advertised benefits are legitimate, start by reviewing the plan’s official documentation, such as the Summary of Benefits and Evidence of Coverage. You can also check the plan’s details on the official Medicare website, which provides information on all approved plans and their offerings. Additionally, contacting the plan’s customer service for clarification on specific benefits can help. Lastly, consider reading reviews or seeking advice from trusted sources, like friends or family, who may have experience with the plan.

Answered by Sean Davis on March 26, 2025

Broker Licensed in NY, LA, MD & 6 other states

Answered by Sean Davis Medicare Insurance Agent

Michael Braden · Answer

HI, thanks for your question...........

If you are anyone you know is unsure if you can trust the reliability of information you received from anyone with regards to any Medicare plan, especially Medicare Advantage plans; the best thing to do is either call the Innsurance Company directly, or look up the plan information on the Insurance company's website. That is where you can go to verify the information.

Any reputable Agent or Broker, should also deliver to you either In Person, via EMail, or in the mail, the PLan outline, including the Summary of Benefits for any plan they represent to you that may be a great fit for you and your needs.

Lastly, please make sure that you not only read the SOB (Summary of Benefits) for each plan you are considering, but also please be sure to read the Explanation Of Benefits.  This is where you can find out all of the details of the plan and read the fine print by yourself.

Steve Brauer · Answer

You can call 800 Medicare to confirm benefits, but just so you know, ALL Medicare Advantage Plans MUST have coverage as good, or better than Original Medicare....by law. Medicare Advantage plans usually have a lot of extra benefits that Original Medicare does not offer

Answered by Steve Brauer on May 7, 2025

Broker Licensed in AZ & CA

Answered by Steve Brauer Medicare Insurance Agent

Vachik Chakhbazian · Answer

There are legit plans with strong benefits, but verifying them is key so you’re not misled by marketing fluff. Go to Medicare.gov/plan-compare or call me and i will be more than happy to help you.

Answered by Vachik Chakhbazian on April 12, 2025

Agent Licensed in CA, AL, AR & 22 other states

Answered by Vachik Chakhbazian Medicare Insurance Agent

Marcie Barnes · Answer

First and foremost by speaking with a licensed Health professional agent.  Secondly reviewing the Evidence of coverage for the plan you are selecting.

Mel Stevens · Answer

Issues with Medicare advantage advertisements and solicitations.  First of all, Medicare commercials viewed on television can be very misleading.  Medicare advantage plans benefits will differ from state to state and even county to county.   When an advertisement is aired on television, generally the company will ramble off the richest benefits available. The problem is that those benefits might not even be available in your state and you may not even qualify for the benefits stated on the advertisement even if you did live in that particular area.  Usually the benefits are referring to and Medi - Medi or rather a Medicare / Medicaid plan.  Some people do qualify for the Medi - Medi plan but its income based. 

In addition, there are a lot of Medicare scams.  Scammers call people all day long stating they have a plan with a lot of benefits like a food and gas card.  Those benefits are available with some plans but the scammers don't care. They just want your information.   What they are looking for is people with the older Medicare cards that actually have your social security number as your Medicare number.  The scammer will ask you to verify your number, your date of birth and often your address as well.  At that point they will have enough information to pull a scam.  The cards switched from social security number to an actual code about 5-6 years ago.   If you have an old card, contact Medicare to have them issue a new one.   Once you receive your new card, destroy the old one. 

There are many Medicare plans available and to make sure you are in the best plan based upon your needs, I feel it's always best practice to sit physical sit down with a Medicare specialist to review plan.  The problem when people enroll over the phone, people are usually talking with a representative that only represents one company.   Often during phone consultations, the rep fails to list your primary doc and fails to double check to make sure all of your specialists are in network.

Randy Hill · Answer

Great question — and you’re not alone! Medicare Advantage plans can sound super fancy with all their “extra” perks. But how do you know if those benefits are really what they say they are?

Let me explain it.
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Imagine someone offers you a big shiny toy box. They say, “It has games, candy, and even a puppy inside!” Sounds great, right?

But before you get too excited, you’d want to open the box and read the instructions to make sure it’s not just full of stickers.

Here’s how you can “open the box” and check what’s really inside a Medicare Advantage plan:
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1. Get the “Summary of Benefits”

Every real Medicare Advantage plan has a special booklet called the Summary of Benefits. It clearly lists:

What’s covered

What’s not

How much you’ll pay

Ask the agent or company to give you this document. If they won’t — that’s a big red flag.
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2. Visit Medicare’s Official Website

Go to www.Medicare.gov

You can type in your zip code and:

See every plan in your area

Compare side-by-side what each one really covers

Make sure the plan is approved by Medicare

If a benefit isn’t listed there — be cautious.
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3. Call Medicare or a Trusted Expert

You can call Medicare directly at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
Or talk to a licensed Medicare agent you trust — someone who can explain the fine print without tricking you.
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4. Watch Out for “Too Good to Be True”

If a plan promises everything for free including cash, gift cards, or major dental work at no cost — slow down and double-check.

Medicare Advantage plans can have great perks like dental, vision, and hearing — but there are always details about how much is covered, which providers you can use, and any limits.
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Bottom line:
Ask for the Summary of Benefits, compare plans on Medicare.gov, and talk to someone you trust. That’s how you make sure you’re getting the real deal — not just a shiny box with no puppy inside.

Let me know if you’d like help reviewing the plans available in your area.

Louanne Allison · Answer

Talk to your agent or me to be sure. Agents advertise a food benefit of say, $3000, but neglects to mention that the person has to be on full state Medicaid. I can apply or check for your state level of Medicaid.

Answered by Louanne Allison on April 14, 2025

Agent Licensed in MI, FL, IL & OH, TN, TX & UT

Answered by Louanne Allison Medicare Insurance Agent

Andre Cabral · Answer

You may call the Carrier's customer service number, but from THEIR website, instead of from a google search, which may be scammer's phone number.

How can I verify if a Medicare Advantage plan's advertised benefits are legit?

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How can I verify if a Medicare Advantage plan's advertised benefits are legit?

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Seniors: Ask a Question of Your Own

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