If we’re only talking about the monthly premium, Medicare Advantage wins in Denver, and it isn’t close. The metro has a crowded Advantage market, and lots of plans charge little or nothing on top of the Part B premium everyone pays. Medigap comes with a real monthly premium.
But “cheaper” has a sneaky second half, and our Medicare team at Uncle Sheldon Insurance always asks it. Cheaper in a quiet year, or cheaper in a rough one?
In a quiet year, when you see your doctor a couple of times and fill a few prescriptions, Advantage usually costs less overall. Small copays, low or no premium, done.
In a rough year, with a hospital stay, a surgery or a string of specialists, Advantage copays and coinsurance add up. Every Advantage plan caps what you pay in a year, which is a real safety net, though that cap can still be a big number. Medigap plans like Plan G cover most of what Original Medicare leaves behind, so after the Part B deductible a rough year costs about the same as a quiet one.
Then there’s the network. Denver plans are built around specific health systems. If your doctors all live in one network, Advantage can be a great fit. If you like any doctor who takes Medicare, or you winter in Arizona, Medigap’s freedom is worth paying for.
And timing matters. Your safest time to buy Medigap without health questions is when you first sign up for Part B at 65, and switching into it later can mean medical underwriting under Colorado’s Medicare rules. So this choice deserves a real look at the start, not just a glance at the premium.
Honestly, we love this conversation. As brokers, we can lay real Denver plans side by side with your doctors and prescriptions and show you the total cost in a quiet year and a rough one, then you decide. No pressure either way. Here’s how we handle Medicare around Denver.