Original Medicare vs a plan · Hartford County, CT · 2027 plan year
Original Medicare vs Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
Medicare.gov compares Medicare Advantage plans with each other. This page also shows Original Medicare, so you can see the full trade-off: premiums, copays, the yearly limit, extra benefits, and the rules about doctors and approvals.
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Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
- Plan premium
- $6 a month
- Yearly limit, in network
- $7,150
- 2027 star rating
- 4 of 5
- Prior authorization needed for
- 19 services
In Connecticut, you can go back to Medigap later
Connecticut lets you buy Medigap any time of year, and your age or health does not change the price. So you can try Medicare Advantage and go back to Original Medicare with Medigap later. A Medigap company can wait up to 6 months to cover a health condition that you already have.
Read about Medigap rights on Medicare.govYour yearly cost, side by side
Move the controls to match your year. Totals include premiums, the Part B premium, copays, and drug costs.
Want to check your exact drugs? Medicare.gov lets you enter each drug and shows what each plan charges for it. Enter your drugs on Medicare.gov
Connecticut Insurance Department, monthly Medicare Supplement rates (updated 9/11/2026) lists $298 to $462 a month for a 65-year-old woman who does not use tobacco. We start at the lowest price. Health questions can raise the price after your first 6 months with Part B.
Original Medicare
With Medigap Plan G at $298 a month and Blue MedicareRx Value Plus (PDP)
$8,388 a year
- Premiums
- $6,393
- Medical costs
- $292
- Drugs
- $1,703
Most you can pay in a bad year, before drugs: $6,685.
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
PPO from Aetna Medicare
$7,075 a year
- Premiums
- $2,586
- Medical costs
- $2,786
- Drugs
- $1,703
Most you can pay in a bad year, before drugs: $9,736.
With these settings, Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) costs about $1,313 less a year than Original Medicare.
Tipping point for Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO): with this drug use, if your medical copays and coinsurance in this plan pass $4,099 in a year, Original Medicare with Plan G costs less. The plan caps those costs at $7,150.
These are estimates, not quotes. Check every number with Medicare (Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE) and with the plan before you choose. What you pay depends on your doctors and hospitals, your drugs and pharmacy, and the care you use. Drug costs use typical prices for generic and brand-name drugs. Original Medicare amounts are 2027 projections from the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report. CMS sets the final amounts in November.
Text us about this comparisonWhat you pay each time you get care
In-network costs for one visit or one stay. The Original Medicare amounts follow your Medigap choice above: Plan G.
Primary doctor visit
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$15
Specialist visit
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$0-$60
Lab tests
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
most Medicare-covered tests
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$0-$20
Prior authorization
MRI or CT scan
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$0-$335
Prior authorization
Emergency room
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$130
Urgent care
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$50
Outpatient surgery
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$0-$400
Prior authorization
Ground ambulance
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
after the $292 yearly Part B deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$300
Prior authorization
Hospital stay, 5 days
Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G
$0
Plan G pays the $1,788 Part A deductible
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
$2,290
for a 5-day stay
Prior authorization
See every cost in one table
| What you pay in network | Original Medicare + Medigap Plan G | Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly premium | Part B $209.50 + Medigap Plan G $298 + drug plan $25.50 | $6 + Part B $209.50 |
| Yearly limit on what you pay | You pay the $292 Part B deductible. Plan G pays the rest. | $7,150 in network; $10,750 in and out of network |
| Medical deductible | $292 Part B. Plan G pays the $1,788 Part A deductible. | $1,750 |
| Primary doctor visit | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $15 copay |
| Specialist visit | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $0-$60 copay |
| Lab tests | $0, most Medicare-covered tests | $0-$20 copayPrior authorization |
| MRI or CT scan | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $0-$335 copayPrior authorization |
| X-rays | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $25 copayPrior authorization |
| Emergency room | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $130 copay |
| Urgent care | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $50 copay |
| Outpatient hospital | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $0-$450 copayPrior authorization |
| Surgery center | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $0-$400 copayPrior authorization |
| Ground ambulance | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $300 copayPrior authorization |
| Hospital stay | $0, Plan G pays the $1,788 Part A deductible | $458 per day for days 1-6; $0 per day for days 7-90Prior authorization |
| Skilled nursing facility | $0, Plan G pays days 21-100 | $10 per day for days 1-20; $221 per day for days 21-100Prior authorization |
| Mental health visit | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $60 copayPrior authorization |
| Physical therapy | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | $30 copay |
| Home health care | $0, Medicare-covered home health | $0 copayPrior authorization |
| Medical equipment | $0, after the $292 yearly Part B deductible | 25% coinsurancePrior authorization |
| Part B drugs | $0 after the $292 Part B deductible | 0%-20% coinsurancePrior authorization |
| Drug deductible (Part D) | $700 with Blue MedicareRx Value Plus (PDP) | $700 |
| Drug tiers (one month, retail) | Preferred Generic: $0 copayGeneric: $3 copayPreferred Brand: 17% coinsuranceNon-Preferred Drug: 35% coinsuranceSpecialty Tier: 25% coinsurance | Preferred Generic: $0 copayGeneric: $5 copayPreferred Brand: 17% coinsuranceNon-Preferred Drug: 28% coinsuranceSpecialty Tier: 25% coinsurance |
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A higher drug plan premium is not, by itself, a reason to switch
With Original Medicare, you buy a separate drug plan. In Connecticut, 10 drug plans are for sale for 2027, from $13.30 to $284.70 a month. Half of them cost $114.75 a month or less.
- Every 2027 drug plan limits what you pay for covered drugs to $2,400 a year. The drug coverage in Medicare Advantage plans has the same limit.
- The premium is one part of your yearly cost. The calculator above adds premiums, medical costs, and drug costs, so you can see the whole year.
- A Medicare Advantage plan can cost less in a light year. But you also take on its network and prior authorization rules.
- If your income is limited, Extra Help can pay most of your drug plan premium and drug costs. Check Extra Help at SSA.gov
Doctors, referrals, and prior authorization
Cost is one side. The other side is how you get care. These rules come from the CMS plan files. Prior authorization means the plan must approve a service before you get it.
Original Medicare
- Any doctor or hospital in the U.S. that takes Medicare
- No referrals
- Prior authorization only for a short list of services
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
PPO
- The plan has a network. You can go outside it, but you pay more.
- No referral needed to see a specialist.
Prior authorization for 19 services
Diagnostic tests, MRI or CT, Radiation therapy, Outpatient hospital, Observation stay, Surgery center, Ambulance, Mental health visits, Psychiatrist visits, Home health, Partial hospitalization, Medical equipment, Prosthetics, Diabetic supplies, Dialysis, Substance use care, Hospital stay, Skilled nursing, Part B drugs
Extra benefits
| Extra benefit | Original Medicare | Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) |
|---|---|---|
| Dental | No | Preventive only |
| Eye exam | No | Yes |
| Glasses or contacts | No | Yes, $125 allowance |
| Hearing aids | No | Yes, copays from $0 |
| Over-the-counter allowance | No | No |
| Fitness benefit | No | Yes |
| Rides to care | No | No |
| Meals after a hospital stay | No | Yes |
| Emergency care abroad | Plan G and Plan N pay 80% after a $250 deductible | Yes |
| Part B premium giveback | No | No |
What changed for 2027
Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO)
Renewal Plan · 2026 plan H5521-157-0
- Monthly premium up from $0 to $6
- In-network out-of-pocket maximum up from $6,750 to $7,150
- Drug deductible up from $615 to $700
- Diagnostic radiology (MRI, CT): $0-$250 copay to $0-$335 copay
- Ground ambulance: $295 copay to $300 copay
- Skilled nursing facility: $10 per day for days 1-20; $218 per day for days 21-100 to $10 per day for days 1-20; $221 per day for days 21-100
- Overall star rating down from 4.5 to 4
More 2027 plans in Hartford County
- Aetna Medicare Elite Extra (PPO), H5521-352
- UHC Medicare Advantage CT-0003 (HMO-POS), H0755-033 (page for Fairfield County, CT)
- HumanaChoice Giveback H5216-138 (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Signature (PPO), H5521-446
- Aetna Medicare Signature (HMO-POS), H5793-001 (page for Fairfield County, CT)
- UHC Medicare Advantage CT-0002 (HMO-POS), H0755-031 (page for Fairfield County, CT)
- Wellcare Simple Open (PPO), H1914-001 (page for Fairfield County, CT)
- Anthem Medicare Advantage (HMO), H5854-019
County guide: 2027 plans in Hartford CountyState guide: Connecticut
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Sources and method
Plan data comes from the CMS 2027 Plan Benefit Package and landscape files. The data is from 2026-10-10. We checked a sample of plans field by field against Medicare.gov. Original Medicare amounts are the 2027 projections in the 2026 Medicare Trustees Report (Tables V.E1 and V.E2). CMS sets the final amounts in November. Medigap prices come from Connecticut Insurance Department, monthly Medicare Supplement rates (updated 9/11/2026), pulled 2026-10-13. They are statewide prices for Connecticut. Totals use typical Medicare-allowed amounts for each service and typical drug prices.
- Aetna Medicare Elite (PPO) on Medicare.gov · plan website · drug list · doctor directory
- Medigap prices: Connecticut Insurance Department, monthly Medicare Supplement rates (updated 9/11/2026)
- CMS Plan Benefit Package files, 2027
- CMS 2027 landscape files (premiums and limits)
- CMS 2027 plan crosswalk
- CMS 2027 Star Ratings
- 2026 Medicare Trustees Report: projected 2027 Part A and Part B amounts (Tables V.E1 and V.E2)
- CMS 2026 Part A and Part B amounts
- Medicare.gov: Medigap guaranteed issue rights
These are estimates, not quotes, and they are for education only. Check every number with Medicare and with the plan before you choose. What you pay depends on your doctors and hospitals, your drugs and pharmacy, and the care you use. Plans can change their benefits, premiums, drug lists, and networks each year.
Pinnie is not an insurance agent or broker and does not sell Medicare plans. Pinnie is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government or the federal Medicare program. For all your options, visit Medicare.gov or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), TTY 1-877-486-2048.