Medigap Insurance:
Why Do You Need It If You Have Medicare?
Is Medicare
confusing to you? Have you figured out what Medicare will cover
and when you will need Medicare Supplement Insurance to pay your
medical bills? Medicare's benefit periods, co-insurance, co-pays
and deductibles make it hard for many people to understand how much
Medicare Supplement Insurance can save them in out-of-pocket costs.
The
Different Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans
Medicare Supplement
Plans M and N became available in June and their premiums are lower
than some of the previously available Medicare Supplement Plans.
That doesn't necessarily make either of them the best plan for everyone,
though.
If you're paying
for the Medicare Part B co-pays and deductible, all 10 of the Medigap
Plans cover co-pays to see a doctor or go to the emergency room.
Medigap Plans C and F will reimburse you for the $155 Part B deductible.
Medigap Policies
can also help if your doctor charges more that the pre-approved
amount Medicare will pay for procedures. That's called Part B excess
charges and plans F and G pay all or 80 percent of those excess
charges. Other Medigap Policies can help with hospital charges,
too.
Medicare Supplemental
Health Insurance is even more important when you are admitted to
the hospital. That's because you must meet Medicare's Part A deductible
of $1,100 per illness before Medicare pays for hospital charges.
Medicare Supplemental Health Insurance can pay that deductible for
you.
Medigap Insurance
pays for even more than that deductible. It also covers the Medicare
co-insurance charges if you have to stay in the hospital for more
than 60 days. With Medigap Insurance you can get the hospital care
you need without being overwhelmed by the expense.
Medigap coverage
can protect your health and your retirement savings when you need
either doctor or hospital care. It can also help with care in a
skilled nursing facility when you leave the hospital. Medigap coverage
can pick up the charges after comprehensive Medicare coverage ends.
Medicare Supplement
Insurance can extend your rehab in a skilled nursing facility so
you're ready to take care of yourself when you do go home. That
reduces the chances that you'll have to be readmitted to the hospital.
With Medicare Supplement Insurance, you can rebuild your strength
and stamina to regain your independence.
To get the best
Medigap Insurance for your situation, ask yourself what medical
bills you're likely to have in the next couple of years. Whatever
plans relieve you of most of that burden are going to be the best
Medigap Insurance for you. To help you get the right coverage, you
can select from 10 different plans.
Medigap
Plan F and Plan N
Medigap Plan
F is the most popular plan and it offers the most complete coverage.
That also means premiums for Medigap Plan F will be higher than
those of most other plans.
At the other
end of the spectrum, the new Medicare Supplement Plan N pares down
coverage and offers one the lowest premiums. Even with lower premiums,
Medicare Supplement Plan N still helps with the really big gaps
in Medicare, such as hospitalization.
Nearly four
million seniors are Humana Medicare Supplement members. Humana is
a leader in insurance today, but it began as a nursing home in 1961.
With a Humana Medicare Supplement, you'll benefit from nearly five
decades of healthcare experience.
Medigap comparisons
can show you all the different combinations of coverage available
so you can get help with the expenses you have without paying for
the benefits you don't need. It's also important to check Medigap
comparisons between insurance companies, which can charge different
prices for the same plan.
What
About a Medicare Advantage Plan
Have you thought
about replacing your Original Medicare coverage with one the Medicare
Advantage Plans? Premiums for these plans are expected to rise as
their government subsidies are withdrawn. Unlike Medicare Advantage
Plans, Medigap plans continues to offer lower premiums.
Where
to Turn for Help
If you would
like more information on Medicare Supplement insurance, Medicare
Advantage plans, Part D Rx, or any other medigap related services,
we recommend Medigap
Advisors. They have great information on their website
about all the different types of Medigap insurance. You can
also run online quotes and set up an appointment with a qualified
Medigap Advisor to discuss your needs.
"You
were the most helpful in guiding me through the
process of selecting what was right for me."
You
were very responsive when I first called, followed up
well, and were patient and helpful despite me taking so
long to make my decision. You were the most helpful
in guiding me through the process of selecting what was
right for me. In today's world of web-based and
long-distance business, your personal touch was and continues
to be important for me.
I
appreciate your willingness to work with the customers,
providing information online for the customers to peruse
before they buy, providing choices to the customers, and
assisting the customers in selecting from them.
Thanks
for continuing to follow up, you have been very helpful.
I would most definitely recommend you to others.
Murali
Gopalakrishnan
Computer Analyst
Superior, CO
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