Steve Lopez: Multiple Medicare options can be confusing, but he's got you covered

Earlier this year, hundreds of New York City retirees protested the city’s plan to change their healthcare. You have to get familiar with Parts A and B, and also Parts C and D. And then you’ve got the Medigap Plans, which supplement A and B and go all the way up through Plan N. For clarification, I visited a Medicare website that offered comparisons of Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N, along with this helpful tip: “The Medigap policy will only pay your coinsurance after you’ve paid the deductible.” I dont’ speak gibberish, but it doesn’t sound good. But fear not, because coverage for vision, hearing, dental and prescription is available in one of the many Medicare Advantage plans, which are also known as Part C, and please don’t ask me why. “Beneficiaries are confused, and they’re overwhelmed by the choices,” said Jeannie Fuglesten Biniek, a Medicare expert for KFF, a healthcare policy nonprofit. “They’re also overwhelmed by the ads on TV.” In fact, the Biden administration launched a crackdown this year on inaccurate marketing pitches for Medicare Advantage plans, which cover roughly half of all beneficiaries.