How Do I Compare Medicare Plans on Medicare.gov?

What this helps with: Using Medicare’s free Plan Finder website to see the plans in your area, check your drugs and doctors, and compare plans side by side.

This guide shows how to use the website. It doesn’t tell you which plan to pick. For free, unbiased help choosing, call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY: 1-877-486-2048.

Why now

• Open Enrollment runs October 15 to December 7. It’s the time each year when you can change your Medicare health or drug plan.
• Changes you make start on January 1.
• Plan costs and benefits can change every year, even if you keep the same plan. Your plan mails a letter each fall, called the Annual Notice of Change, that lists what’s different.
• Happy with your plan? You don’t have to do anything. Comparing is still a good idea.

Before you start

• Set aside 20 to 40 minutes. You can stop and come back.
• Have these ready:
  • Your ZIP code.
  • Your list of prescription drugs, with the dose and how often you take each one. The labels on your pill bottles have this.
  • The names of your pharmacy and your doctors.
  • Your Medicare card, if you want to sign in.
• A computer or tablet is easiest, because the plan pages are wide. A phone works too.
• Plan Finder is free. No one should charge you to use it.

Step 1: Go to the real website

1. Open your web browser and type the address yourself: Medicare.gov/plan-compare
   • Don’t use a link from a text, email, or ad.
2. Check the address bar. The real site starts with https://www.medicare.gov/.
   • Search results marked Ad or Sponsored are not Medicare, even if they say “Medicare.”

Step 2: Sign in, or look without an account

You’ll see two choices. Pick one.

• Log in to your Medicare account. Your saved drugs and pharmacies fill in for you, and your list is saved for next time. Medicare.gov says you can sign in with your Medicare account, Login.gov, ID.me, or CLEAR.
• Look without an account. Type your ZIP code to see plans right away. This is fine on a shared or library computer. Your drug list won’t be saved, so write it down first.

Step 3: Tell it what you need

1. Choose the kind of plan to look at: a Medicare Advantage Plan or a Medicare drug plan (Part D). You can switch later.
2. If asked, say whether you get help paying for drugs, like Extra Help or Medicaid.
3. When it asks if you want to see drug costs, choose Yes.
4. Add your drugs. Start typing a drug name, then tap it in the list.
   • Pick the exact dose, form (tablet or capsule), amount, and how often you fill it. Check each one against your pill bottle. The first choice in the list may not be yours.
   • Add each drug only once.
5. Pick your pharmacies. Choose the ones you use. You can pick more than one, including mail order.

Tip: If you’re looking at Medicare Advantage Plans, look for a way to add your doctors. Then you can see which plans have them in the network.

Step 4: Look at the plan list

You’ll see a list of plans in your area. For each plan, the list shows things like:

• The monthly premium (what you pay each month to have the plan).
• The yearly drug and premium cost for the drugs you entered. This is an estimate.
• The deductible and the most you’d pay out of pocket.
• Star ratings from 1 to 5, for quality and service.

To learn more about one plan, tap Plan Details. You can see what each of your drugs costs and any rules for getting them.

Step 5: Compare plans side by side

1. Check Add to compare on up to 3 plans.
2. Tap the Compare button to see them next to each other.
3. Want a paper copy? Use the print button on the page, or your browser’s print option.

Before you decide, call to check. It’s a good idea to call the plan and make sure your doctors and pharmacy are in its network. Networks can change.

Step 6: Join a plan (only if you want to)

1. Tap Enroll on the plan you chose and follow the steps.
2. When you finish, you’ll get a confirmation number. Write it down or print the page. Keep it in case something goes wrong.
3. The plan must get your request by December 7.

You can also join by calling the plan or 1-800-MEDICARE.

Stay safe from Medicare scams

• Medicare won’t call you out of the blue to sell you a plan or ask for your Medicare number.
• Real Medicare websites end in .gov. Type Medicare.gov yourself.
• Don’t give your Medicare number to a caller, a text, or a website you reached from an ad.
• Using Plan Finder and SHIP is free.
• Got a call you’re not sure about? Hang up. Then call 1-800-MEDICARE yourself.

More warning signs are in our guide to Medicare scams.

If something goes wrong

• It logged me out while I was typing drugs. This can happen if you look without an account and wait too long. Start again and add your drugs a little faster, or sign in so your list saves.
• I can’t find my drug. Try the generic name on your pill bottle. Some names are spelled out in full, like “hydrochloride” instead of “HCl.”
• The drug costs look wrong. Check the dose, form, and how often you fill it. A small mistake there can change the cost a lot.
• This is too much. That’s okay. A SHIP counselor can go through it with you for free, over the phone or in person. Find yours at shiphelp.org.

Official sources

• Medicare: Find health and drug plans (Plan Finder)
• Medicare: Open Enrollment
• Medicare: Your Yearly Medicare Review (PDF)
• Medicare: Medicare & You 2027 (PDF)
• Medicare: Reporting Medicare fraud and abuse
• SHIP: Find your local SHIP

Last checked: Oct 20, 2026

This is general help, not legal, financial, or medical advice. It covers the U.S. Medicare.gov website only. For help choosing a plan, call your local SHIP or 1-800-MEDICARE.