Medicare Plan Comparison Worksheet
Use it to eliminate bad-fit plans before comparing premiums, drug costs, out-of-pocket exposure, network rules, and caregiver workload.
Medicare plan comparison gets overwhelming when families compare everything at once. This worksheet uses must-haves first, then cost.
Quick answer
Use it to eliminate bad-fit plans before comparing premiums, drug costs, out-of-pocket exposure, network rules, and caregiver workload.
Step 1: Must-Have List
| Must-have item | Details | | --- | --- | | Primary doctor | | | Specialists | | | Preferred hospital | | | Prescriptions | | | Pharmacy | | | Travel needs | | | Budget limit | | | Caregiver manageability concerns | |
Step 2: Plan Comparison
| Category | Plan A | Plan B | Plan C | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Plan name | | | | | Plan type | | | | | Monthly premium | | | | | Deductible | | | | | Out-of-pocket maximum | | | | | Primary doctor covered? | | | | | Specialists covered? | | | | | Preferred hospital covered? | | | | | Prescriptions covered? | | | | | Preferred pharmacy? | | | | | Prior authorization concerns | | | | | Referral requirements | | | | | Travel coverage | | | | | Estimated annual drug cost | | | | | Estimated bad-year cost | | | | | Caregiver paperwork burden | | | | | Overall fit | | | |
Step 3: Drug Check
| Drug | Dose | Plan A | Plan B | Plan C | Prior auth / step therapy? | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Kefiw Tip
Eliminate bad-fit plans before choosing the best plan.
A plan fails if:
- Key doctors are not covered.
- Important drugs are not covered.
- Hospital access is poor.
- Bad-year cost is unaffordable.
- Rules are too hard for the user or caregiver to manage.
Family Script
"Let's not choose based on ads or premium alone. We need to verify doctors, prescriptions, hospitals, pharmacy, total cost, and plan rules."
Red Flags
- Premium is the only comparison.
- Doctor network is assumed.
- Drug list is not checked.
- Pharmacy pricing is ignored.
- Travel needs are ignored.
- Prior authorization is not reviewed.
- Caregiver workload is ignored.
Reusable Product Asset Uses
This worksheet should eventually support:
- Printable PDF.
- Saveable worksheet.
- Calculator result add-on.
- Care Track step.
- Family summary export.
- Email or share version.
- Bring-this-to-a-tour version when relevant.
- Use-before-a-family-meeting version when relevant.
Professional Review
Recommended reviewer: Medicare specialist, licensed insurance professional
Sources To Verify
- Medicare: Compare Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage
- Medicare: Compare types of Medicare Advantage Plans
- Medicare: Drug plan rules
- Medicare: What pharmacies can I use?
Last reviewed: April 29, 2026.
Kefiw Worksheet Disclaimer
Kefiw provides educational care-planning tools, worksheets, and guides. These materials are designed to help families organize information and prepare better questions. They do not replace medical, legal, financial, tax, insurance, employment, benefits, or professional care advice. Care needs, costs, coverage, provider quality, eligibility, and legal requirements vary by person, plan, provider, state, and situation. For urgent medical concerns or immediate danger, call emergency services.
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Frequently asked questions
› How should families use this worksheet? How-to
Use it before a care decision, appointment, tour, provider interview, or family conversation so the discussion starts with facts instead of memory and stress.
› Is this worksheet professional advice? How-to
No. It organizes information and prepares better questions, but medical, legal, financial, tax, insurance, benefits, employment, and care decisions should be confirmed with qualified professionals.
› Should this be printed or saved? How-to
Both can help. A printed copy is useful during tours or family meetings, while a saved copy helps the family update the plan after care needs, costs, or safety risks change.
› How should I use this guide with a Kefiw tool? How-to
Use the guide as the plan and the linked Kefiw tool as the check. Read the steps first, try the move manually, then use the tool to compare outputs, catch edge cases, and decide whether the result actually fits your task.
› What mistake do tool guides help avoid? Troubleshooting
Tool guides help avoid using a utility mechanically without understanding what you are trying to accomplish. Most word, writing, and text utilities are fast, but speed can hide context mistakes. Know whether you are solving a puzzle, cleaning copy, drafting a line, or checking a rule.