How to use AI to compare Medicare plan documents (general help, not advice)
General help only. This is not medical, legal or financial advice. Confirm important details with a qualified professional or an official source.
The short answer: you can paste short sections from two plan documents into an AI assistant and ask it to line them up in a simple table, using everyday words. This can make long documents less intimidating. It cannot tell you which plan is right for you, and it can make mistakes, so confirm every detail with Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE or your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) counselor, who gives free, unbiased help.
This guide is general information only. It is not Medicare, medical, legal or financial advice.
Step by step
1. Gather the right documents. Each plan has a document often called the Summary of Benefits, and a longer one called the Evidence of Coverage. Plans change every year, so make sure you have the current year's papers, and get them from the plan's own website or Medicare.gov.
2. Decide what matters to you. Write down a few things in plain words: your doctors, your regular prescriptions, how often you visit specialists, and what monthly cost feels comfortable.
3. Remove private details. Do not type your name, Medicare number, address or birth date. You do not need them.
4. Paste one section at a time. Start with something small, like the page showing monthly premium, deductible and copays. Long pasted documents are more likely to be misread.
5. Ask for a side-by-side table. Here is a prompt you can copy:
"I am not an expert in Medicare. Below are sections from two plan documents, Plan A and Plan B. Please make a simple table comparing the monthly premium, deductible, doctor visit copay, and the most I could pay out of pocket in a year. Use plain English. If something is unclear or missing, say so instead of guessing. Plan A: [paste]. Plan B: [paste]."
6. Ask what the words mean. Try: "Explain 'formulary' and 'network' as if I have never heard them." You can ask again as often as you like.
7. Build a question list. Ask: "What questions should I ask each plan or a Medicare counselor before choosing?"
8. Verify everything. Check the table against the original documents. Then confirm your doctors and medications are covered by using Medicare.gov's plan finder, or call 1-800-MEDICARE or your local SHIP office.
What to watch out for
Keep these in mind
- AI is not always right. It can mix up numbers, skip a footnote or give an outdated answer. Always check the original page.
- It cannot choose for you. The best plan depends on your health, your medicines and your budget, and only you and an official source can weigh those.
- Dates and deadlines matter. Enrollment windows have rules, and missing one can have consequences. Confirm dates at Medicare.gov.
- Beware of unsolicited calls or ads. Never give your Medicare number to someone who contacted you first, and do not share it with an AI tool.
- Unsure? Ask a person. A SHIP counselor, your doctor's office or a trusted official source can confirm what applies to you.
A calmer way to read the fine print
Plan documents can run to dozens of pages. Used carefully, AI works like a patient helper who turns the jargon into a short list, so your conversations with real experts can be shorter and better prepared.
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