Best Medicare Advantage plan for a low monthly premium in Franklin County, Iowa

Why this plan

11 of the 17 plans open to everyone here charge no monthly premium, the lowest premium on offer. Among those 11, MercyOne Health Plan Cash Back (HMO) comes first: it has the largest Part B giveback, $102.40 a month.

What it gives up

• Its out-of-pocket limit, $6,900, is higher than most here (the middle plan's is $4,500): in a year with a lot of care, it could cost you more than other plans.

Where else it does well

• It is rated 4.5 stars, among Medicare's highest ratings.
• It also gives back $102.40 a month of your Part B premium.

Who it suits

A low premium suits you if you're in good health and expect few doctor visits. The premium is the one cost you pay every month whether you use care or not. What you pay when you do use care -- copays, and in a bad year the out-of-pocket limit -- is the other half of the cost, and a $0 premium says nothing about it. You keep paying your Part B premium either way.

The next best for a low monthly premium

Before you choose

• Check your doctors and hospitals. Most Medicare Advantage plans pay only, or mostly, for care in their own network. Ask the plan, or your doctor's office, before you join.
• Price your prescriptions. What your drugs cost can differ by hundreds of dollars a year between plans and outweigh any premium difference. Add them in our plan list to see your own costs.
• Read the plan's own documents. We take every figure from what the plan filed with Medicare, but its Evidence of Coverage is the final word on what it pays.
• Get free advice if you want it. Your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) gives free, unbiased help choosing a plan.

How we picked

The plan with the lowest monthly premium. Where several tie, we look next at the largest Part B giveback, then the lowest out-of-pocket limit for in-network care, then the lowest copay to see a primary care doctor. Plans that still tie are listed by name.

We compare the 17 Medicare Advantage plans with drug coverage that anyone with Medicare in Franklin County can join. Special needs plans and PACE, which are only for people who qualify, aren't included; you'll find them on the Franklin County page. No plan pays to be picked.