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Medicare Supplement Rates Connecticut

Medicare Supplement Rates Connecticut are available at the bottom of this blog.  These Medicare Supplement plans are also called Medigap plans.  Connecticut is a standardized state for Medicare supplements.  Plans have identical benefits from one company to the next. The only difference is in price and value added features. Value added are things such as Silver Sneakers being available with a plan. A Medicare supplement plan is secondary coverage.  Original Medicare both A and B are the primary insurance with a supplement.  Providers bill Original Medicare first.  The portion not covered by Medicare is sent to the supplement.  The supplement covers some or all of the remainder depending on the the plan chosen. Plan F covers 100%, plan N covers most charges, plan L covers 75% and so on.  There are 9 supplement types in CT

How do you decide which one to take?

It depends on your situation.  People in very poor health may be better with a Plan F.  Someone in average health may look at plan N or plan L.  Supplements have some advantages: No network and ability to choose coverage level are two big ones.  Also, the ability to choose any Part D plan. There are also some negatives. The first is paying three premiums.

A part B premium of $121.80. The Supplement premium and the Rx premium.  Some people will make the decision to go with a Medicare Advantage plan instead. Connecticut does not allow companies to underwrite plans.  This simply means they can’t check your health.  This allows members to move from one supplement to another during the year.  Certain health conditions may cause an issue if you want to change plans.  They could also move either to an advantage during OEP or from an Advantage to a supplement.   Rates have been provided below.  In fact, the grid holds the rates for every company with a supplement in CT.

Click this link for CT rates 2016

Are you looking for Medicare Advantage Plan information instead?

If you need to sign up for Medicare A and B, Click for online enrollment with Social Security

Click here for a no obligation Medicare quote.

Anthem MediBlue Select HMO

Anthem MediBlue Select HMO is a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD).   In fact, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offers this plan only in Hartford county in the state of Connecticut.   This, like all HMO plans, require that participants use in network providers.  If you choose to use out of network providers, this plan will not cover your expenses.  An exception to this would be urgent or emergency care which allows of of network services.

The plan has a monthly premium of $26. This would be in addition to the part B premium of $121.80.  There are no referrals required for this plan. Co-pays for a primary doctor are $15 and $40 for a specialist.  The plan has an annual out of pocket max of $6,100 per year.  Annual maximum indicates the most the insured would need to pay in medical claims for  the year.  You can not apply either Monthly premiums or cost-sharing for part D prescription drugs to the maximum out of pocket amount.

You can add dental services to the plan for an additional premium.  In Addition, Silver Sneakers is included in the $26 monthly premium and pays a local gym membership monthly fee.   If you use approved diabetic supply vendors your diabetic supplies are covered at 100%.

This plan offers prescription drug coverage with $220 annual deductible.  This deductible applies only to tiers 2-5.  The plan excludes both Tiers 1 and 6 from this deductible.  There is no limit to how much the plan will pay.

A Medicare Advantage plan should not be confused with a Medicare Supplement plan (also called Medigap).

MAPD plans offer both medical and drug benefits combined with the insurance company as the primary insurance.  With a Medicare Supplement, original Medicare is primary.  The insurance company would be the secondary insurance.  As a result, a Medicare Supplement plan does not have a network.  Because members may see any provider that participates with Original Medicare, it is different from an Advantage plan.

 HMO summary of benefits Anthem MediBlue Select

Anthem MediBlue Selelct HMO application

Click here to request a personal Medicare review.

Anthem MediBlue Plus HMO

Anthem MediBlue Plus HMO is a Medicare Advantage plan with prescription drug coverage (MAPD). This plan is offered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield in 4 counties in the state of Connecticut.  Clients can purchase in either Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven as well as Windham counties.  Given the plan is an HMO plan, participants must use in network providers.  In fact, if you use out of network providers  anthem will not cover your claims. An exception to this would be when getting urgent or emergency care which allows of of network services.

The plan has a monthly premium of $37 a month. This would be in addition to the part B premium of $121.80.  This plan does not require a referral. Copays for a primary doctor are $15 and $40 for a specialist.  The plan has an annual out of pocket max of $6,700 per year. Annual max indicates the most the insured would need to pay in medical claims for  the year. It does not include prescription drug out of pocket costs. You can add dental coverage to this plan for an additional premium. They include Silver Sneakers  in the $37 monthly premium and they pay a local gym membership monthly fee for members. Diabetic supplies are covered at 100% when using approved diabetic supply vendors.

A Medicare Advantage plan should not be confused with a Medicare Supplement plan (also called Medigap).  MAPD plans offered medical and drug benefits combined with the insurance company as the primary insurance. With a Medicare Supplement, Original Medicare is primary.  The insurance company would be the secondary insurance. As a result, a Medicare Supplement plan does not have a network.  In fact, members may see any provider that participates with Original Medicare.  This is not the case with an Advantage plan.

 MediBlue Plus HMO Anthem summary of benefits

Anthem Mediblue Plus HMO application

Click here to request a personal Medicare review.

Medicare Seminars in Connecticut

Crowe and Associates is offering Medicare Seminars in Connecticut.  We are an independent agency contracted with all Medicare companies in the state of Connecticut.  We conduct seminars to educate consumers on Medicare Advantage plans (also called Part C or Managed Medicare), stand alone part D RX plans and Medicare supplement plans (Also called Medigap plans).  Meetings run about 1 hour with the primary goal focusing on four main areas:

1)Explain how Original Medicare works as well as coverage provided by Medicare A and B.  It’s important to understand how Medicare benefits work so that you can make the most informed, best decision for you and your family members.

2)Detailing the difference between a Medicare Advantage and a Medicare Supplement plan.  They are distinctly different plans. Understanding the difference between them allows the Medicare beneficiary to make a more educated decision.

3)Explaining the strengths and weakness of both Advantage and Supplement plans.   How a Medicare beneficiary should use their own situation to determine which is better for them. (There is not a “best plan” or “best option”.)  Personal health/medical needs will be the biggest determination when it comes to finding the right plan.

4)Once the right type of plan has been determined (Medicare Advantage vs. Medicare Supplement) we will then provide a review of the company offerings for 2016.  It’s important to learn the differences between the companies that offer Medicare plans.  Understanding the details between companies and plans is vital to having proper coverage.

The primary goal:

will be for attendees to leave the meeting with the confidence to pick a plan that suits them best.  If interested in attending a meeting, please call our office at 203-796-5403 or email [email protected]

Crowe and Associates is a full service brokerage offering clients not only Medicare, but regular health, dental and life insurance.  We also offer property and casualty insurance as well as investment advice.  We do not charge any fees.  If you have questions or need additional information, please give us a call at 203-796-5403.

United Healthcare Medicare Complete Connecticut:

United Healthcare Medicare Complete Connecticut plans are a series of Medicare Advantage plans offered by United Healthcare.  Medicare Advantage plans are also called Part C plans or Managed Medicare Plans.  United Healthcare offers 3 Medicare complete plans in Connecticut for 2016. They are Medicare Complete plans 1,2 and 3.  Each plan has a different monthly premium and benefits.  All three have Rx coverage included in the benefits.

Plan 1 is a $99 a month plan with the lowest copays of the three plans.   This plan has additional extras such as vision, dental and hearing benefits. Plan 2 is a $29 a month plan with slightly higher copays than Plan 1 and comes with vision, dental, hearing and Silver Sneakers benefits.  In Plan 3 there is a $0 month premium with the highest copays of the three plans and requires a specialist referral.  It has the additional vision, hearing and Silver Sneakers benefits. Silver Sneakers is available on the United Healthcare Medicare Complete Plan 1 but there would be additional monthly premium to add it.  Full plan summaries are available in the links below for more detailed benefit descriptions.

United Healthcare Medicare Complete plans

Participating providers can be accessed in both CT as well as NY as in network providers.  The plans also come with the Passport program which allows members to access doctors in other states as in network providers (Assuming the participate with United in the other states.) UHC does have some benefits at a 20% co-insurance level which can lead to substantial out of pocket for some procedures.  We include both a summary of benefits and an application for all plans in the links below.

Feel free to either call our office at 203-796-5403 or send an email to [email protected] with any questions.

United Healthcare Plan 1 Summary 2016

 Plan 2 Summary 2016 United Healthcare

 Plan 3 Summary 2016 United Healthcare

When is The Medicare Advantage Dis-enrollment Period (MADP)

New Humana Medicare Plans 2016

New Humana Medicare Plans 2016 –  There are some new Humana Medicare plans that clients can purchase in 2016. The new plans have many great options for members to choose from.  Humana offers Medicare Advantage plans both with and without drug plans in multiple states.  Please note that in some states such as NY, they only offer a stand alone PDP plan while in others they offer both the PDP and Medicare Advantage plans.  They have multiple MAPD plan types with HMO and PPO plans in various states.  Click the link below to review Humana Medicare plans 2016 in all states. The link will also provide PDP Rx summaries.  Please call our office with any additional questions about plan designs, or benefits.

Click for Humana benefit summaries for all states 2016

Humana Medicare is also looking to fill a market void in the Long Island NY region.

This new HMO plan offers to it’s members:

• $37 monthly premium.
• $5 PCP co-pays.
• $30 specialist co-pays.
• $6,7000 Maximum out of pocket (MOOP) cost.
• This plan also includes a Silver Sneakers membership.
• It also provides preventive dental coverage.
• There is also a vision allowance of $200 toward the purchase of new glasses.
• They provide members hearing aid coverage.
• In addition this plan offers optional supplemental benefits (OSB), if you so choose.
• Travel options are built in to allow for in-network benefits in select Florida counties.

The network has been expanded to include the following:

• North Shore Lone Island Jewish Hospitals as in-network participants.
• Both Pro-Health providers as well as surgical centers are in-network participants.
• In addition, the network includes Advanced Urology.

What is the Medicare Part D Penalty

If you have gone without Part D or other credible drug coverage for a period of 63 days or more after your initial enrollment period. You may owe a Medicare Part D Penalty.  What is the Medicare Part D Penalty –

With Medicare as with all insurance plans it is wise to know all the ins and outs before you start.  If you find a knowledgeable insurance agent to help you sort things out, you will be ahead of the game.  Here at Crowe and Associates our job is to help clients understand insurance.  We want you to feel confident that you have chosen the right policy for both your health needs and your budget.  That is why it is important that you are aware of any possible penalties that can cost you money.

The dollar amount of the penalty

Medicare will officially calculate your penalty based on the number of full months you went without coverage.   The penalty is 1% of the national base beneficiary premium multiplied by the number of uncovered months and then rounded to the nearest $0.10.  That amount will be added to your monthly part D premium.  (Note: Since the national benchmark premium may increase each year, the penalty amount will also change accordingly.

Click Here for a Part D Late Enrollent Penalty Reconsideration Request Form

You should mail both completed forms as well as supporting documentation to the address below:

MAXIMUS Federal Services
3750 Monroe Avenue, Suite 704
Pittsford, NY 14534-1302

Or faxed to:
Fax number: (585) 869-3320 or  toll free fax number: (866) 589-5241

Do you have questions or need assistance navigating the Part D late enrollment penalty reconsideration process?  Please contact the office at either 203-796-5403 or at [email protected] if you have questions or require additional information about insurance.

Medicare Supplement High Deductible Plan F

Medicare Supplement High Deductible Plan F includes cost-sharing features.  These features allow you to save on premiums while still receiving dependable coverage.

In fact, The high deductible Medicare Supplement insurance plan pays the same benefits as Plan F.   AFTER you have paid the annual deductible of $2,180.  Benefits  from the High Deductible Plan F will not begin until out-of-pocket expenses are $2,180.

What’s does Medicare include in a Medicare Supplement High Deductible Plan F?

• Your $1,260 Part A deductible and coinsurance
• The cost of 365 extra days of hospital care during your lifetime after Medicare coverage ends
• $147 Part B Medicare deductible
• Your Part B coinsurance and the cost of the first three pints of blood
• 100 percent of Part B physician charges that are in excess of the Medicare-approved amount (by law no physician may charge more than 115 percent of Medicare-approved amounts).
• Skilled nursing facility copayment
• Hospice care
• Foreign travel emergency care

Medicare Part A Coverage:

Medicare Part B:

Crowe and Associates (Edward K. Crowe -Owner) is a brokerage agency located at 304 Federal Road, Suite 107, Brookfield CT.  The agency is A rated with the BBB and is independent offering all major insurance companies.  The company website is croweandassociates.com

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