To get the most from Medicare — and your health care dollars — you need to carefully evaluate the costs and benefits of all of your plan options.

Open enrollment is the one time each year when you can make changes to your Medicare coverage.

Here are some questions to help you compare options and find the best plan for you.

1. How much will I have to pay for premiums, deductibles, doctor visits and hospital stays?

2. Will I have to choose hospital and health care providers from a network?

3. Will my doctors accept the coverage? If not, are there doctors near me who will?

4. Will I need referrals to visit specialists?

5. Will the plan cover me if I get sick while traveling in another state?

6. What will my prescription drugs cost?

7. Are my drugs on the plan's drug list (or formulary)?

8. Does the plan include the pharmacies I currently use?

9. Can I get my prescriptions through the mail?

10. Does the plan have a good quality rating?

Whether you are new to Medicare or are deciding if you should change plans during Medicare's Annual Enrollment Period, more commonly called Medicare open enrollment, you should gather information from a variety of sources.

• Check out Medicare.gov
• Click here to request a consultation

If you're considering a Medicare Advantage or Part D prescription drug plan, both of which are run by private insurers, don't rely solely on information from the sponsoring insurance company.