Best Medicare Advantage plan for a low monthly premium in Cochran County, Texas

Why this plan

Wellpoint Medicare Advantage 2 (HMO-POS) has the lowest premium of the 5 plans open to everyone here: no monthly premium. The next is HumanaChoice R4182-004 (Regional PPO), at $44 a month.

What it gives up

• Its out-of-pocket limit, $9,250, is higher than most here (the middle plan's is $8,000): in a year with a lot of care, it could cost you more than other plans.

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