Medigap plans, or Medicare Supplement Plans, are insurance policies sold by private companies to supplement Original Medicare. Most health care services and supplies are covered by Original Medicare, but some expenses are not. Some of those remaining costs can be covered by a Medicare Supplement Insurance policy. This blog post will discuss how Medicare supplement plans work and everything you need to know about them!
What is Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan?
A Medicare supplement plan is a type of health insurance policy designed to supplement Original Medicare. Medicare supplement insurance can pay some of the out-of-pocket costs not covered by Original Medicare, including:
– Coinsurance
– Copayments
– Deductibles
The Part B deductible has been eliminated from Medigap plans sold to individuals new to Medicare. Because of this, Plan C and F are no longer available to persons new to Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. However, suppose you were eligible for Medicare before January 1, 2020, but did not enroll until afterward. Plan C or F (which cover Part B deductibles) may be an option for you in that case. Those who already have a Plan C or F (or the high-deductible Plan F) can keep them.
What exactly do Medicare supplement plans cover?
Medicare insurance solutions help cover some of the expenses that Medicare, such as: do not pay
– Part A coinsurance and hospital costs
– Part B copayments or coinsurance
– First three pints of blood needed for a transfusion
– Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayments
– Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
– Part A and Part B deductible
– Foreign travel emergency care
Medicare supplemental plans aren’t the same as typical health insurance. They don’t provide any medical services. Instead, these plans cover the expenses you would have paid for if you had received Original Medicare at no cost to yourself.
How does the Medicare supplement plan work:
- Original Medicare Parts A and B are required to qualify for a Medicare supplement plan. You will then pay your monthly premium to the private insurance company offering the Medigap policy. In return, that company will pay your covered out-of-pocket costs up to your policy’s limit.
- Although Medicare does not impose a coinsurance charge like this on you, if you go to see your doctor, you will not have to pay the 20% coinsurance required by Medicare, it’s taken care of by your Medigap plan. Instead of paying the 20% coinsurance, some Medigap plans may include a copay.
- It’s important to note that you will still be responsible for paying your Part B premium and any deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance required by Original Medicare. However, your Medigap policy will cover costs above and beyond what Medicare requires.
- Medicare supplement plans aren’t the only way to get additional health coverage. Medicare Advantage plans to assist with your Medicare premiums as well. They also provide more medical coverage than Medicare supplement plans.
Remember that all ten Medicare supplement plans cover coinsurance and 100 percent of hospital expenses for Medicare Part A, but afterward, coverage is different. Only Medicare supplement plans C and F cover the Part B deductible. Other examples of how Medicare supplement plans work with Medicare include:
- This is standard in most insurance plans. In addition to blood work, all plans include coverage for various levels of blood testing; Plan K covers it at 50%, and Plan L covers it at 75%. The final eight policies cover blood testing completely.
- You can save money if you spend a long time in the hospital with a Medicare supplement plan. For example, the coinsurance for hospitalization is $335 per day from days 61 to 90. After day 90, the cost is $670 until the lifetime reserve has been met, at which point you will be responsible for the remaining costs. Remember to meet your Medicare Part A deductible ($1,340 for 2018) before receiving these advantages.
- Routine dental and vision care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, private nursing, and long-term care are not covered by Medicare supplement insurance. You’ll either need additional insurance for those expenditures or pay them yourself.
Some important medicare supplement plan rules to keep in mind are the following:
- The Medigap policy must cover both Parts A and B of Medicare.
- You must buy a Medigap policy from a medicare supplement agency.
- Because a Medigap policy only covers one person, your spouse must apply separately.
- If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you must cancel it before your new Medigap (Medigap) policy begins; apply for the Medigap plan first after canceling your other insurance coverage.
- Purchase a Medigap policy from a licensed insurance company to sell them in your state.
- Even if you acquire health issues, later on, a typical Medigap policy is guaranteed renewable; the insurance firm cannot cancel your coverage as long as your payments are made.
- Some Medigap plans formerly covered prescription drugs, but this is no longer the case. As a standalone policy, Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D) cover prescription drugs. You may also consider prescription drug discount cards to save money on prescriptions.
- Not all disabled individuals eligible for Medicare may buy Medigap coverage. Although Medigap policies are open to those under the age of 65, they aren’t always accessible.
Medicare and its associated expenses are complex, making your options perplexing. An applicant’s approach may not be the same as another’s. For example, if you’re still working, you might want to keep your group policy instead of retiring early. But that doesn’t mean you can’t – or shouldn’t – enroll in Medicare when you turn 65.
Even if you’re still working and don’t require the complete package, you may still receive a portion of Medicare’s free services. Researching your policy’s advantages can help you save money on health insurance premiums by verifying they meet your needs.
Speak to a professional policy adviser to ensure you are well-covered and your premium is reasonable for your budget before making any final selections regarding Medicare and Medicare supplement insurance.