Editorial policy
A PlainMedicare page says what the CMS files say about a plan, a county, an insurer or a drug, in plain words, and names the file. This page sets out the rules behind that wording.
How are changes worded?
A plan page puts each 2026 amount beside its 2027 amount and writes the change in words (“up $400”, “no longer offered”). Changed lines come first and carry a mark, so a reader sees what is different before what stays the same. Crosswalk statuses are translated into plain terms (“renews in fewer counties”, “folds into another plan”, “not offered in 2027”), and the methodology page defines each one.
What will a page not say?
PlainMedicare does not call a plan best or worst, does not invent scores of its own, and does not estimate a figure the files do not hold. Where CMS hides a count or a plan files no value, the page says so (“fewer than 11”, “not filed”) rather than guessing. It does not tell anyone which plan to choose; it shows the figures that choice depends on and where to confirm them.
How are AI tools used?
AI tools help write the code, the page designs and the guides' explanatory text, which is read against the CMS files and Medicare.gov before it is published; the guides cite the Medicare.gov pages they rely on, with the date they were read. Sentences on plan, county, state, insurer and drug pages are written by fixed templates from each page's own figures. No number comes from a model.
Who can influence a page?
PlainMedicare takes no money from insurers, brokers or agents, sells no leads and accepts no paid placement. The site is paid for by ads served by Journey by Mediavine; advertisers do not see pages before they are published and cannot change them.
What happens when there is an error?
Every reported error is checked against the CMS file it concerns. A confirmed error is fixed in the pipeline or the database, so every page that showed it changes at once, and the fix is listed with its date on the corrections page. When CMS revises a file, the pages are rebuilt and the source dates change; those updates are listed on the changelog. Write to hello@plainmedicare.com.