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Medicare Plan Choices Connecticut 2017

Medicare plan choices connecticut 2017 will cover Medicare Advantage (Also called Managed Medicare or Medicare part C, Medicare Supplments (also called Medigap) and Medicare Part D plans.  Various companies in Connecticut offer all three types of plans for 2017.   This post will cover all three plan types. Also it will cover how a Medicare receipient can pick the best choice for him/her.  Benefit and rate comparisons have been provided below throughout the post.  Good luck.

NOTE: There are links below which provide Medicare supplement, Medicare Advantage and PDP plan comparisons for the State of CT.  We can run any additional quotes/comparisons that are needed for any product. (MAPD, Medigap, PDP)  Call or email our office with any questions (203)-796-5403 or email Edward@croweandassociates.com.  

Quick Medicare A and B Information before getting into the plans

First of all, you need to know the basics rules of Medicare A and B. While picking the right plan is important, having Medicare A and B is probably as important.  First of all, you must have Medicare A and B to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan (MAPD) or a Medicare suplement plan (Medigap).  A part D drug plan (PDP) requires you to have Medicare part A and/or B.  Medicare part A cost nothing for almost everyone while part B costs money every month.  CLICK FOR PART B PREMIUMS  If you are drawing social security already, the part B premium will be taken out of your check every month.  If you are not drawing social security, you will be billed quarterly.

Part A of Medicare covers hospitalization while part B covers outpatient services such as doctors and testing. CLICK FOR MEDICARE A AND B BENEFITS  You will see that Medicare covers 80% of Medical costs, as a result,  most people want to cover some or all of the other 20%.  Finally, it does not cover prescriptions drugs, therefore many people purchase a PDP plan.  As a result, those aging into Medicare likely will enrol in a Medicare Advantage plan or a Medigap and/or a PDP plan.

Medicare Plan Choices Connecticut 2017- Medicare Supplements (Medigap Plans)

Medicare Plan Choices Connecticut 2017

A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, can help pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.

Some Medigap policies also offer coverage for services that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like foreign travel coverage. If you have Original Medicare and you buy a Medigap policy, Medicare will pay its share of the Medicare allowed amounts for covered health care costs. Then the Medigap pays its portion of the cost depending on the plan you have.

A Medigap policy is not a Medicare Advantge Plan.

Things to know about Medigap policies

1. You must have Original Medicare A and B
2. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can apply for a Medigap policy, but make sure you can leave the Medicare Advantage Plan before your Medigap policy begins.
3. You pay the Medigap premium and the Medicare Part B premium
4. A Medigap policy only covers one person. If you and your spouse both want Medigap coverage, you’ll each have to buy separate policies.
5. You can buy a Medigap policy from any insurance company that’s licensed in your state to sell one.
6. Any standardized Medigap policy is guaranteed renewable even if you have health problems. This means the insurance company can’t cancel your Medigap policy as long as you pay the premium. Furthermore, Connecticut is a guaranteed issue state for Medigap.  This allow a change form one Medigap to another throughout the year without any health underwriting.

Medigap policies don’t cover everything

Medigap policies generally don’t cover benefits such as long term care, vision and dental.

Click for Medigap rates Connecticut 2017

Dropping your Medigap and Part D Prescription Drug Coverage:

You have to pay a Part D late enrollment penalty when you join a new Medicare drug plan if:

• Either you drop your entire Medigap policy and the drug coverage wasn’t creditable prescription drug coverage, or
• You go 63 days or more in a row before your new Medicare drug coverage begins

Call or email us with any questions at 203-796-5403 or email Edward@croweandassociates.com. We do not charge a fee for our services.

Medicare Plan Choices Connecticut 2017-Medicare Advantage Plans

Medicare Advantage plans are sometimes referred to as Medicare Part C or Managed Medicare plans . They are Medicare-approved health insurance plans for individuals who are enrolled in Original Medicare, Part A and Part B. When you join a Medicare Advantage plan, you are still in the Medicare program and must continue paying your Part B premium. Original Medicare is not billed while in an Advantage plan, as a result, some people incorrectly think they are not part of the Medicare Program

Medicare Advantage plans provide all of your Medicare Part A (hospital insurance) and Medicare Part B (medical insurance) coverage. Sometimes, they offer additional benefits, such as vision, dental, and hearing, and most include prescription drug coverage. These plans often have networks, which mean you may have to see certain doctors and go to certain hospitals in the plan’s network to get care.

Medicare Advantage plans may potentially save you money vs using a Medigap and PDP plan because the monthly premium is much lower in most cases. Pricing (monthly premium, copays, dedutibles and co-insurance) will vary by plan provider, so it’s worthwhile to compare all plans in your area. Your costs will vary by the services you use and the type of plan you purchase.

Medicare Plan Choices Connectict 2017- Plan options can include:

• Health Maintenance Organization (HMO)
• Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
• Private Fee-for-Service (PFFS)  (Not currently available in CT for 2017)
• Special Needs Plans (SNPs)
• HMO Point-of-Service (HMOPOS)
• Medical Savings Account (MSA) (Not currently available in CT for 2017)

You can generally join if you:

           live in the service area of the plan you want to join (Most plans in CT are offered in all CT counties with a few exceptions)

•  have Original Medicare, Part A and Part B, coverage.
•  don’t have end-stage renal disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant); however, there are a few exceptions.

Choose your plan carefully. Outside of when you first become eligible to enroll and other personal circumstances that may qualify you for a Special Election Period, you are only able to change plans once a year during the Annual Election Period. The Annual Election Period lasts from October 15 through December 7 of each year. (An exception to this rule is for those that have a “Trial Right” which allows  them to change from an advantage plan back to a Medigap and drug plan.

There is also a Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period, which runs from January 1 through February 14. During this time, individuals enrolled in a Medicare Advantage plan can disenroll from their plan and return to Original Medicare coverage and buy a Medigap and PDP plan if they want to.

One more thing to note is that Medicare Advantage plans, with or without prescription drug coverage, vary depending on where you live. The name of this blog is Medicare plan choices Connecticut 2017.   In fact, the rules above apply to most states.

Medicare plan choices Connecticut 2017 – Click Here For 2017 MAPD Plan Comparison CT

Medicare Part D (PDP) Plans CT 2017

A prescription drug plan (PDP) is an option for those eligible that want to enroll in the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, which can lower the costs of prescription drugs for insured. A prescription drug plan (PDP) is a stand-alone plan, covering only prescription drugs. Enrollees who choose the option of prescription drug coverage through a Medicare Advantage plan would also have coverage for other medical expenses as part of that plan. Medicare Advantage drug plans and stand alone PDP plans are different but the drug coverage portion works in a similary manner.  Enrollees pay a co-pay for each prescription, a monthly premium (not with some advantge plans however) and an annual deductible.

Note: Please call or email our office for a full list of PDP plans available in CT

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.

Move To A Plan N Supplement

Move To A Plan N Supplement In this post, we are going to give you some reasons why you should Move To A Plan N Supplement.  The majority of seniors enrolled in an AARP Medicare Supplement plan (Also called Medigap) are in Plan F when the best choice would be AARP Plan N supplement.  Why are so many people enrolled in Plan F? What reason should they enroll in plan N instead?  In fact, there are a number of good reasons to consider this option.

First, we will look at why most people with an AARP supplement in Connecticut have Plan F.  Because Plan F has been around the longest most people are familiar with it.  It also has one of the highest premiums which makes consumers think it is the best choice.   On the other hand, Plan N has only been around for 3 years and is not as easy to understand compared to Plan F.

Plan F

Covers 100% of Medicare approved services not covered by Medicare A and B.  Plan N has some limited out of pocket costs ($50.00 for ER visit, $147.00 annual part B deductible, up to $20 for physician services).  All other benefits are the same as plan F.  The premium of plan N in CT is $145.50 a month vs. the Plan F premium of $218.50 a month representing a $876.00 a year premium difference.   The limited out of pocket costs of Plan N make it highly unlikely that anyone will have $876.00 in medical copays.  Only the highest of utilizers of care would be able to approach the number.

Those that want to make a change in Connecticut do not need to wait for the Annual Election Period.  You can switch from Plan F to Plan N any time of the year in Connecticut.   Because it is a guaranteed issue state for Medicare Supplement plans.

CLICK HERE FOR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT RATES AND MORE INFORMATION

If you would like more information about this healthcare plan or any other plan please contact us.  You can reach us either by phone at (203)796-5403 or by email at admin@croweandassociates.com.

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Comparison Connecticut

In this post we will give you Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement Comparison Connecticut.  Medicare Advantage plans and Medicare Supplement plans (also called Medigap plans) are very different.  There are positives and negatives of each depending on an individuals medical needs.  This post will provide a description of both and compare them in order to make an educated decision when choosing a plan.  The plans outlined in this post are applicable to Connecticut and may not be available in other states.

Medicare Advantage Plans  (CLICK HERE FOR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE APPLICATIONS)

Medicare Advantage Plans are offered by private insurance companies.   They offer medical and Rx benefits in one plan and act as the primary insurance instead of original Medicare.  There are 5 companies offering Medicare Advantage plans in Connecticut.  The companies are Connecticare, United Healthcare (with and without AARP logo), Aetna, Anthem BCBS and Wellcare.

Positives:

• Many have $0 monthly premium.   You will still pay your part B premium to Medicare however.
• They include the medical and Rx benefit in one package.  You do not need/cannot purchase a separate Part D Rx drug plan when you have a Medicare Advantage plan.  The Medicare Advantage plans include the Part D Rx coverage in the benefits.
• Extra benefits- some Medicare Advantage Plans provide for extra benefits such as dental, visions, podiatry visits, gym memberships, etc….

Negatives:

• Medicare Advantage plans have networks. Since the Advantage plan is your primary insurance, the provider must be in network in order for his servicesnto be covered by the plan. There are a limited number of Medicare Advantage Plans in Ct that provide out of network coverage as well.
• Copays-  You do not pay a monthly premium with Advantage plans but you do pay copays for medical services such as doctors visits, lab work, inpatient stays, etc….
• The last negative is that Medicare Advantage plans are able to make benefit changes every January.  This means that they may have a major increase in co-pays and cost share on renewal in January.  You are able to make a plan change every January.  Although, you cannot change your plan after February 14th.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ADVANTAGE PLANS

CLICK HERE FOR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN APPLICATIONS

Medicare Supplements (Also called Medigap Plans)    (CLICK HERE FOR SUPPLEMENT APPLICATIONS)

Medicare Supplement plans are secondary to Original Medicare.  When someone purchases a supplement, the provider will bill Medicare first and then the supplement will cover a portion or all (depending on the supplement you choose) of the remaining costs.  Medicare Supplement plans cover Medical services only and do not include Rx coverage.  Those that want Rx coverage purchase a stand along Part D drug plan.   Supplements are standardized in Connecticut.  This means that there is no variance in benefits from insurance carrier to insurance carrier.  In Connecticut there are 10 supplement plan options with plans F, N and L being the most popular.

Due to the fact that the benefits are standardized, purchasing a supplement usually comes down to who has the best rates.   Currently in Connecticut the United Healthcare AARP branded Medicare Supplements have a large rate advantage over all the other companies.   In other words, it really doesn’t make sense to purchase a Medicare supplement through a different company.

Positives:

• Medicare Supplement plans are secondary to Medicare.  This allows you to see any doctor that accepts Medicare.  There is not a network to follow.  As a result, Medicare supplements are very convenient for people that travel.
• You can determine how much coverage you want. For example, if you want 100% medical coverage, Plan F supplement would provide it or for 75% coverage you could use a plan L.
• Medicare supplement do not have prior authorization requirements

Negatives:

• Medicare Supplement plans have monthly premiums in addition to the Part B premium.  For example, the lowest cost plan F in Connecticut is $220 a month.  (cost is per person)
• Medicare Supplements do not include Rx coverage.  You must purchase Rx coverage separately with a Part D Rx plan.  Part D plans range in monthly price from $14 a month to $100 a month depending on the plan chosen.
• Medicare Supplements will only cover a procedure that is covered by Original Medicare.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS

 FOR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT APPLICATIONS – CLICK HERE

Please contact us if you have any questions.  You can either call Crowe and Associates at 203 796 5403 or email  us at Edward@Croweandassociates.com.

A Medicare supplement plan (Also called Medigap) is an insurance policy that is designed to cover the benefits that Medicare A and B do not cover.  If you are not familiar with Medicare A and B benefits CLICK HERE  Doctors, hospitals and all other Medical providers, bill Medicare A and B (Original Medicare Card). Medicare covers their portion and the balance is sent to the Supplement plan to cover the amount specified by the plan you buy.  So is it worth it to buy a supplement?

Read more

Medicare Supplement plans (Also called Medigap) are insurance policies that provide coverage on a secondary basis to Original Medicare.  When a Medicare Supplement is purchased, it will pay for some or all of the  Medical expenses not covered by Original Medicare.   Connecticut is a unique Medicare Supplement state in a number of ways.

Read more

Medicare Supplement plans (also called Medigap plans) are standardized in Connecticut.  This means that plans must have the same benefits regardless of the company offering them.   The only difference is in the service and the monthly premium of the plan.  Supplement plans in Connecticut are organized by letters A-N.   The most popular plans are F,N and L.    Keep in mind that a Medicare supplement plan is secondary to original Medicare and have no network as a result. Medicare Supplement plans also do not come with drug coverage.  That must be purchased separately through a PDP “Prescription Drug Plan”.

Premiums for all plans offered in Connecticut are attached in this blog.   This includes every company that is offering a plan in CT and every plan letter they offer.  Rates are subject to change from as the companies are allowed to have a rate increase once per year.  This blog will be updated a few times during the year to ensure that accurate rates are being posted.

CLICK HERE FOR MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT RATES CT 2013

AARP has released the average rate changes for 2013 in the State of Connecticut. This includes rate increases for current and grandfathered plans such as Plan J supplement. Rates have been maintained well by AARP/United Healthcare which has resulted in very low increases for some plans and no increases for others. AARP Rate Change CT

Medicare Supplement plans are standardized in Connecticut which means that there are no variations in benefits in a supplement regardless of the company offering it. The only difference is the premium of the plan. If a consumer is looking to purchase a plan F supplement, the only thing they need to be concerned with is the price. The benefits are identical from company to company.

I would like to dispel some common misconceptions with Medicare supplement plans (Also called Medigap) Medicare supplement plans DO NOT have a network. You may go to any doctor that accepts Medicare. Medicare supplement do not have drug coverage, you need to purchase a part D plan in order to obtain drug coverage. Medicare Supplements are secondary to Medicare. When you go to the doctor or hospital, you show them your original Medicare card and that is what they will bill. The supplement will pick up the costs that original Medicare does not cover. There is not any Medical underwriting in the state of Connecticut if you are turning 65 or if you have had continuous coverage for a retirement plan, a different supplement or a Medicare Advantage plan.

Please feel free to call or email with any questions.