Medicare is one of the most important decisions retirees will make, yet it remains widely misunderstood. Lucretia Ryan, founder of FinancialFreedomForWomen.org, pulls back the curtain on the differences between Medicare Advantage and Original Medicare, revealing insights that may change the way you or your loved ones approach retirement healthcare.

What the Insurance Companies Won't Tell You with Lucretia Ryan

“[What’s] the big lie of Medicare Advantage? It’s a lie that it’s Medicare, and it’s a lie that it’s an Advantage,” Lucretia shares in the episode. By saying that, Lucretia emphasizes her main goal of to dispelling the marketing myths surrounding Medicare Advantage plans.

There are many differences between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, with main ones including cost, access, and control. Original Medicare offers broader provider access and doesn’t require prior authorization, while Medicare Advantage often limits networks and adds additional hurdles that often delay or deny care.

In this episode, Lucretia draws on personal experience helping her mother navigate these systems and urges listeners to consider not just short-term perks, but the long-term consequences of their Medicare choices.

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Also Listen To: Hosting Parent Empowerment Workshops with Kerry Woodward   

Kerry Woodward, Executive Director at Philadelphia Financial Scholars, shares how her team bridges personal finance education between classrooms and communities. With a background on Wall Street and over a decade in urban education, Kerry highlights the importance of financial education for both students and their parents.

Tune in to discover Kerry’s community-centered approach to financial empowerment, with workshops that help families stay up to date on personal finance education.

About the Author

Anton Ivanushkin

Anton is a student at UC San Diego. He is majoring in Cognitive Science with a specialization in Machine Learning and Neural Computation. Anton has been interning at NGPF since May 2023. He helps with video editing, podcast editing, and many other tasks.