To determine your Medicare coverage, check your Original Medicare card or any separate cards for Medicare Advantage, Part D, or Medigap. You can also log into Medicare.gov or call your provider.

Navigating Medicare plans and parts can be complex, but understanding what plan you have is essential for managing both your healthcare and your costs.

You’re generally eligible for Medicare if you’re age 65 or older, or if you’re younger and receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI), or if you live with either end stage renal disease (ESRD) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

In this guide, you’ll find straightforward methods to determine exactly what coverage you have, whether it’s Original Medicare (parts A and B), Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Part D, or Medigap.

This is a step-by-step guide on how to verify your Medicare enrollment and find the exact plan you’re enrolled in. The following sections explore these tips in greater detail.

Quick tips for finding your Medicare plan

  • Check your plan card: Look for your red, white, and blue Original Medicare card, or any separate cards for Medicare Advantage (Part C), Medicare Part D, or Medigap. Each shows plan details and dates.
  • Use online accounts: Log into your MyMedicare account or your private insurer’s portal to view coverage and enrollment details.
  • Contact providers directly: Call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (TTY 1-800-633-4227) or your private plan’s customer service.
  • Use financial statements: Review Social Security statements for Part B premium deductions or bank or credit card statements for private plan payments.
  • Ask your pharmacy: When you fill a prescription, you can ask your pharmacist to confirm your Part D prescription drug coverage.

When you become eligible based on age, you must enroll in Original Medicare (parts A and B). If you become eligible based on disability, you’ll be enrolled automatically.

In both cases, you should receive a Medicare “Welcome” packet that includes your red, white, and blue Medicare card and information about your benefits. This should tell you whether you’re enrolled in Original Medicare.

Usually, once you’re a Medicare beneficiary, you also have the option to create a Medicare.gov account. If you’ve already created this account, information about your coverage should be available there. If you have not, you can try to create an account using your details to help you determine your coverage.

If creating a Medicare account is not helpful in determining your coverage or you haven’t received a Welcome packet, you can call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE or 1-800-633-4227 (TTY 1-800-486-2048) to verify your eligibility and coverage. If you’re eligible to enroll but haven’t yet, representatives will guide you through the enrollment process.

Another way to verify your Original Medicare coverage is to look at your Social Security statements, which should list your deductions for Medicare Part B.

Once you’re enrolled in Original Medicare, you can switch to Medicare Advantage (Part C), which offers the same benefits as Original Medicare, plus additional benefits in many cases, such as dental or vision insurance.

Meanwhile, Medicare Part D plans cover prescription drugs. Both Part C and Part D plans are managed privately, and the plans you can choose from depend on what’s available in your area.

You can view the available plans by entering your zip code on the Medicare.gov website. Before switching, it’s important to be mindful of important Medicare enrollment periods.

Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MAPD) plans

If you enrolled in a Part C plan that already includes drug coverage, you do not need a stand-alone Part D plan. That said, you might need a Part D plan if you stay with Original Medicare or if you choose a Part C plan without drug coverage.

In addition, you have the option to enroll in Medicare supplement insurance, known as Medigap. These plans are also offered by private insurers. However, they don’t provide direct medical coverage.

Instead, they can help you cover the cost gaps from your Original Medicare coverage, which means covering expenses like deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.

Because you can only have Medigap with Original Medicare, being enrolled in a Part C plan generally precludes you from being able to enroll in a Medigap plan.

How to find what plan you have

If you’re not sure whether you’re still enrolled in Original Medicare or have been switched to a Part C plan, the best course of action is to call Medicare directly to find out.

If you need to verify your enrollment in a specific Part C, Part D, or Medigap plan, you can do so by logging into your plan account on the specific insurer’s website or by looking at your plan card.

Keep in mind that your Part C, Part D, or Medigap card should be a separate card, different from the red, white, and blue Medicare card you received from Original Medicare. These cards look more similar to cards you might receive from a non-Medicare private health insurance plan and will typically indicate the type of plan you’re enrolled in and the insurer that manages your plan.

On the back of the card, you’ll usually find a phone number you can also call with additional questions about coverage and benefits. That said, if you haven’t received a card from your plan, you can still find the number for the insurer online and call to ask about your enrollment and when you can expect to receive your plan card.

In addition, another way to verify your enrollment in any of these plans is to look for credit card or bank transactions for payments such as deductibles and premiums. For verifying Part D specifically, your pharmacy can usually verify your coverage before filling a prescription.

While Medicare coverage typically begins at age 65, you may qualify earlier if you receive SSDI or live with certain conditions.

If you think you’re already enrolled in Original Medicare but aren’t sure what plan you have, you can call Medicare or check your “Welcome” packet that you should have received after your initial enrollment. You can also check your red, white, and blue Original Medicare card.

Alternatively, if you have any other insurance cards from plans such as Medicare Advantage (Part C), Part D, or Medigap, these should indicate your enrollment in these plans and should provide information about your specific plan and a phone number to call with questions.

Other ways to verify coverage include reviewing your Social Security statements or financial records for relevant payments or asking your pharmacist about your current prescription coverage status.