The Medicare Plan Comparison Checklist

Every year, people abandon a plan comparison halfway through because they cannot remember a dosage or find a pharmacy name. Print this, fill it in, then sit down once.

Before you start: gather

1. Your Medicare number, from your red-white-and-blue card.
2. Every prescription — exact drug name as dispensed, strength, quantity per fill, refills per year. Read the bottles.
3. Your ZIP code and the pharmacies you actually use, including mail order.
4. Your doctors and hospitals — the ones you would not want to change.
5. Your current plan details — see how to confirm what you have.
6. Your Annual Notice of Change letter, mailed each September, which lists what changes January 1.

For each plan, record

• Total projected annual cost (premium plus drug cost-sharing) — the headline number.
• Deductible and whether drugs are exempt from it.
• In-network out-of-pocket maximum (Medicare Advantage only).
• Tier and restriction flags — PA, ST, QL — for every drug you take.
• Network status of each doctor and hospital, verified on the carrier's own directory.
• Star Rating, as a tiebreaker between otherwise similar plans.
• Extras you would truly use — dental, vision, hearing, fitness — with their actual annual limits, not the advertised headline.

Before you enroll, confirm

• You called each doctor's office and named the exact plan for next year.
• No drug you take daily sits behind prior authorization or step therapy.
• You compared the same drug list across every plan.
• If you are considering Medigap, you know whether your Medigap Open Enrollment window is still open.

Then run it

Take the completed checklist into the Plan Finder guide, then the coverage-specific walkthrough: Part D, Medicare Advantage, or Medigap.

Frequently asked questions

What information do I need to compare Medicare plans?

Your Medicare number, an exact list of prescriptions with dosage and refill frequency, your ZIP code, the pharmacies you use including mail order, and the doctors and hospitals you want to keep. That set is enough to complete a full Plan Finder comparison in one sitting.

What should I compare between Medicare plans?

Total projected annual cost first, then the in-network out-of-pocket maximum, formulary tier and restriction flags for each of your drugs, whether your providers are in network, the Star Rating, and any extras you would genuinely use.

How long does comparing Medicare plans take?

About 45 minutes if your drug list and pharmacy details are ready before you start. Most of the time people lose is spent hunting for pill bottles mid-comparison.

When is the best time to compare Medicare plans?

During the Annual Election Period, October 15 to December 7, after your plan's Annual Notice of Change arrives in September. That letter tells you what is changing, which is the reason to re-shop even when you are happy.