Compare plans side by side

Once you have two or three plans in mind, the fastest way to see the trade-off is to put them in one table. Not the table the plan finder gives you — this one puts your oncologist, your drugs, and the ceiling on your costs above the monthly premium, because that is the order those things matter in during treatment. If you have not shortlisted yet, start with the nine steps.

We don’t sell insurance, and we never tell you which plan to pick

Cancer Explained is a nonprofit educational resource. We are not affiliated with Medicare, CMS, or any insurance company. We are not agents or brokers. We earn no commission, accept no payment from health plans, and do not pass your information to anyone who does. We will never call a plan “best” or “recommended” — that judgement depends on your doctors, your medications, and your finances, and it belongs to you.

Anything you type here stays on your device. The worksheets in this section save to your own browser so you can come back to them. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else. Never enter your Medicare number, Social Security number, or member ID — you do not need them here, and no legitimate Medicare resource will ask for them by email or web form.

Dollar figures on these pages are the official 2026 amounts, last checked against CMS and Social Security sources on July 25, 2026. Plan benefits, drug lists, and provider networks change — sometimes mid-year. Before you enroll or change coverage, confirm everything with Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), with the plan itself, and with a free SHIP counselor. This is general information, not medical, legal, or financial advice.

Your plan comparison worksheet

Open Medicare Plan Compare in another tab and copy the numbers for up to three plans into the columns below. Your answers save on this device only, so you can close the page and come back to it.

Compare up to three Medicare plans across cost, network, and drug coverage. Enter your own values in each cell.
What to compare	Plan 1	Plan 2	Plan 3
Which plan is this?
Plan nameCopy it exactly as Plan Compare shows it.	Plan name for plan 1	Plan name for plan 2	Plan name for plan 3
Insurance company	Insurance company for plan 1	Insurance company for plan 2	Insurance company for plan 3
Plan typeHMO, PPO, PDP, D-SNP, Medigap…	Plan type for plan 1	Plan type for plan 2	Plan type for plan 3
What it costs
Monthly premium	Monthly premium for plan 1	Monthly premium for plan 2	Monthly premium for plan 3
Most you could pay in a yearKeyThe medical out-of-pocket maximum. Original Medicare on its own has none — write “no limit”.	Most you could pay in a year for plan 1	Most you could pay in a year for plan 2	Most you could pay in a year for plan 3
Your share of chemotherapy and infusionsKeyOften written as a percentage, like “20% coinsurance”. On an infusion billed at $12,000, 20% is $2,400 each time.	Your share of chemotherapy and infusions for plan 1	Your share of chemotherapy and infusions for plan 2	Your share of chemotherapy and infusions for plan 3
Medical deductible	Medical deductible for plan 1	Medical deductible for plan 2	Medical deductible for plan 3
Drug deductible	Drug deductible for plan 1	Drug deductible for plan 2	Drug deductible for plan 3
Specialist visit copay	Specialist visit copay for plan 1	Specialist visit copay for plan 2	Specialist visit copay for plan 3
Hospital stay cost	Hospital stay cost for plan 1	Hospital stay cost for plan 2	Hospital stay cost for plan 3
Whether it works for your care
Your oncologist is in networkKeyConfirm by calling the oncologist's office, not just by reading the plan's directory.	Your oncologist is in network for plan 1	Your oncologist is in network for plan 2	Your oncologist is in network for plan 3
Your cancer center is in networkKeyA hospital and the doctors who work inside it can be contracted separately.	Your cancer center is in network for plan 1	Your cancer center is in network for plan 2	Your cancer center is in network for plan 3
All your medications are on the drug listKey	All your medications are on the drug list for plan 1	All your medications are on the drug list for plan 2	All your medications are on the drug list for plan 3
Referrals needed to see a specialist	Referrals needed to see a specialist for plan 1	Referrals needed to see a specialist for plan 2	Referrals needed to see a specialist for plan 3
What needs prior authorizationAsk specifically about scans, radiation, and infused drugs.	What needs prior authorization for plan 1	What needs prior authorization for plan 2	What needs prior authorization for plan 3
Your notes	Notes for plan 1	Notes for plan 2	Notes for plan 3

Reading your own worksheet

A column with “Not covered” on any of the three key access rows is usually out, whatever its premium says.
Add twelve months of premium to the out-of-pocket maximum. That total — not the monthly premium — is the worst case you are actually comparing.
An “unclear” answer is not a yes. Get it in writing from the plan before you enroll, and note the date and the name of who told you.
Take this printout to a SHIP counselor. They can check your reading of it for free, and they will spot the things a worksheet cannot.

Free, and nobody is selling you anything

Talk it through with a Medicare counselor

Every state has a State Health Insurance Assistance Program — trained counselors who sit down with you one-on-one, go through your own medications and doctors, and help you work out what your options actually cost. It is free, it is confidential, and they earn nothing whichever plan you choose. If you only do one thing on this page, do this one.

Find your state’s counselor Or call the national line: 1-877-839-2675