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Medicare Supplement cost comparison

If you are either new to Medicare or if you want to change plans during open enrollment, a Medicare Supplement cost comparison is a great idea. Click Here For A Medicare Supplement Cost Comparison Tool-  Free to use at no cost or obligation    (Good for all 50 states)

Medicare Supplement cost comparison – things to know:

Medicare Supplement plans and Medigap plans are the same thing.  Private insurance companies offer these plans.  The insurance companies can only  sell you standardized plans.  This means the plans offer the same general benefits although some plans offer added benefits.    In other words, plan N on Anthem must offer the same benefits as a Plan N on United Health Care.  The real difference is the cost of each plan as well as the extra benefits one company offers over another. All insurers must follow both federal and state laws.  The laws protect consumers.

Medicare Supplement cost comparison – more information:

A Medigap policy helps you pay for health care costs left over after Medicare A and B have paid their portion.  This applies to things such as; co-pays, co-insurance and deductibles.  If you enrolled in Original Medicare as well as a Medicare Supplement/Medigap policy, then each policy will each pay it’s part of your covered health care costs. In most cases, when you buy a Medicare Supplement plan, you must have both Medicare Part A and Part B. (Sign up for Medicare A and B)  There is a  monthly premium for Medicare Part B.  There is also a premium for Med Sup/Medigap policies.

Renewing the plans

Your policy is guaranteed renewable as long as you pay your premium.  This policy will renew automatically each year. Medicare Supplement cost comparison: If you are considering a Medicare Supplement/Medigap policy, you should definitely compare the costs.  You should do this each year before open enrollment as prices change as well as extra benefits that are offered. This is true especially because the benefits you receive the same coverage no matter which carrier you choose.  The only difference is the cot of the plan.

Links to rates for each state

Federal Medicare Supplement Website Medicare Supplement cost comparison

Alabama rates site

Alaska rates site

Arizona rates site

Arkansas rates site

California rates site

Colorado rates site

Connecticut rates site

Delaware rates site

Florida rates site

Georgia rates site

Hawaii rates site

Idaho rates site

Illinois rates site

Indiana rates site

Iowa rates site

Kansas rates site

Kentucky rates site

Louisiana rates site

Maine rates site

Maryland rates site

Massachusetts rates site

Michigan rates site

Minnesota rates site

Mississippi rates site

Missouri rates site

Montana rates site

Nebraska rates site

Nevada rates site

New Hampshire rates site

NJ rates site

New Mexico rates site

NY rates site

North Carolina rates site

North Dakota rates site

Ohio rates site

Oregon rates site

Pennsylvania rates site

Rhode Island rates site

South Carolina rates site

South Dakota rates site

Tennessee rates site

Texas rates site

Utah rates site

Vermont rates site

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Medicare Supplement Plans

Medicare Supplement Plans, also called “Medigap” insurance, provides extra coverage for Medicare beneficiaries. People in Original Medicare often take Medicare Supplement insurance to cover the gaps in Original Medicare. Medicare has two parts, Part A and Part B.  Both programs have gaps in coverage that a supplement may cover. (Depends on which on is purchased.)

Gaps In Coverage

Part A Gaps:

Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) covers inpatient hospital, inpatient skilled nursing facility, home health, and hospice services.  The following is a list of gaps in coverage:

• Hospital deductible per stay
• Hospital coinsurance (Medicare covers the first 60 days in full after the deductible has been met.  Days 61 to 90 have a copayment, and days 91 to 150 – the “lifetime reserve” –  a higher copay.
• No coverage after 150 days.
• Skilled nursing facility coinsurance payments (Medicare covers the first 100 days).
• No coverage after 100 days.
• Home health aide services that are provided on more than a part-time basis.
• Home health nursing and aide services.

See exact amounts for the current year here.

Part B Gaps

Medicare Part B (outpatient coverage) provides coverage for a number of outpatient and physician services.  It also pays for durable medical equipment, prosthetic devices, supplies and ambulance.  The following is a list of gaps Medicare does not cover.

• Part B deductible (annual deductible of $166).
• Part B 20% coinsurance payment (Medicare pays 80% of the allowable charges).
• Balance billing above the Medicare-approved charge (some physicians and providers charge more than the amount Medicare approves).  Billing above Medicare approved amounts not allowed in all states.  The amount they can bill above is limited as well.

Who Needs Medicare Supplement Plans?

There are a number of programs that help fill in the gaps of A and B.

• Government Programs such as QMB or Full Medicaid.
• Group Retirement Plans.
• Standardized Individual Medigap Policies. (Means the plans have the same core benefits.)

If you have Medicaid or are a QMB

Medicare beneficiaries with Medicaid (Title 19 or QMB) usually do not need Medigap insurance because Medicaid will cover their out of pocket costs. Chick here for a short video about Medicaid.  Not all doctors and facilities will take Medicare however.  People who do not qualify for Medicaid may still be eligible for the QMB program. QMB program benefits include:

• The payment of monthly Medicare premiums.
• All costs of Medicare annual deductibles.
• Payment of Medicare coinsurance.

Those not on Medicaid or QMB

People that are not on Medicaid or QMB may want to consider one of the many Medicare supplement plans available.  Currently, there are plans A,B,C,F, High F,G,K,L,M and N. Each plan covers different amounts of the gaps not covered by Original Medicare.  Plans are standardized which means benefits in a plan must be the same from company to company. Example: Plan F has the same benefits no matter who offers it.  A persons health is the biggest factor when choosing between all the options. Price point of a specific plan in an area is a consideration as well. Many people take a Medicare supplement because there is no network to follow.  As a result, the beneficiary may see any provider that accepts Original Medicare when using a Medicare supplement plan.

What is the best Medicare supplement plan option?

There is not a perfect plan for everyone.  Each individual situation is different and as a result, the right supplement for one person may be wrong for another.  In general plans F,N,G,K and High Deductible F have the best price points for the benefit.  This is very dependent on the state you reside in however.  In most states, the best deal for a supplement is the high deductible F supplement.  Most people do not understand how high F works however so they overlook it.   CLICK FOR MORE INFO ON HIGH DEDUCTIBLE F SUPPLEMENT  Note: call our office at 203-796-5403 or email Edward@croweandassociates.com if you want a quote over the phone or sent to you by email.

CT Medicare Supplement Rates                                                             

 NY Medicare Supplement rates

 NJ Rates 

 PA Medicare Supplement rates

 Mass Medicare Supplement Rates 

Florida Medicare Supplement rates

Georgia Medicare Supplement rates

VT Medicare Supplement Rates

 Washington Medicare Supplement 

 Virginia Medicare Supplement Rates 

Arizona Medicare Supplement Rates

California Medicare Supplement Rates

Maine Medicare Supplement Rates

Rhone Island Medicare Supplement Insurance Rates

North Carolina Medicare Supplement

Delaware Medicare Supplement Rates

South Carolina Medicare Supplement

New Hampshire Medicare Supplement

Colorado Medicare Supplement

Iowa Medicare Supplement

Kansas Medicare Supplement

Hawaii Medicare Supplement

Alabama Medicare Supplement

Alaska Medicare Supplement Rates

Idaho Medicare Supplement Rates

Kentucky Medicare Supplement Rates

Ohio Medicare Supplement Rates

Nebraska Medicare Supplement Rates

Maryland Medicare Supplement Rates

North Dakota Medicare Supplement

Oklahoma Medicare Supplement

When do you take a Medicare Advantage plan instead?

A Medicare Advantage Plan is not a supplement. Instead,they are very different types of plans.  A supplement is secondary to Medicare.  A Medicare Advantage plan replaces Medicare and acts as the primary insurance as a result.  There are a number of things to consider when choosing a supplement or Advantage plan.  What doctors will be used?  How often is care received? Does the beneficiary plan to travel? These are just a few things to consider when choosing.

Do they cover prescriptions?

Medicare Supplement Plans do not include Rx coverage.   A beneficiary can consider a stand alone drug plan for coverage because they can not buy a supplement with a drug plan.  Instead they would buy a part D plan from an insurance company. The part D plan can be from a different company than the supplement company.  Part D plans are offered by many companies. They have very different premiums and benefits from one company to the next.

What plans are popular? 

It depends on the state you live in but, in general, plans F, N and G are popular choices.  The high F plan can be the best choice if the cost is low. Some states have low cost High F plans and others do not.  Some states allow you to change from one supplement to another any time.  The change can be made without any type of health check.  Other states will check health if changing plans outside of a guaranteed issue period.

More info about Medicare Supplement plans.

Supplements will only cover services allowed by Medicare. If Medicare does not approve the care, the supplement will not cover it either.  An example is acupuncture which is not covered by Original Medicare. The supplement will not cover the charges either. Medicare supplement benefits do not change every January like they do with an Advantage plan.  The premium is subject to change but the benefits do not.  Medicare supplement plan F will no longer be available as of 2020. As a result, the plan G supplement will be the closest option to a plan F.  This is not a big issue because those in it already can keep it but no one can buy a new plan F as of 2020.

Looking for Medicare information in Connecticut?

Click here for a no cost, confidential Medicare quote.

Medicare Supplement Medigap Plans

Medicare supplement Medigap Plans, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that  Original Medicare A and B doesn’t cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.

Some Medigap policies such as Plan F, G and N also offer coverage for services that Original Medicare doesn’t cover. These services include, medical care when travelling outside of the country.  If you have Original Medicare A and B and you buy a Medicare Supplement policy, Medicare will pay its share of the  Medicare-approved amount for covered health care costs. Then your Medigap policy pays its share depending on which plan you purchase.

A Medigap policy is different from a Medicare Advantage Plan. (MA or MAPD)  A Medicare Advantage plan is primary instead of Original Medicare being primary.

If you are looking for Medicare Supplement (Medigap) applications, CLICK HERE or email Edward@croweandassociates.com

Important things to know about Medigap policies

1. You must have Medicare A and B in order for a Medicare Supplement to provide coverage
2. If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan, you can apply for a Medigap policy.  Although your Medigap plan will not work unless you dis enroll from the Medicare Advantage plan.
3. You pay a monthly premium for your Medigap policy in addition to the monthly Part B premium that you pay to Medicare.
4. A Medigap policy only covers one person. If there is a husband and wife, you must each buy a plan if you both want coverage.
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.  You can not be cancelled due to health complications.
7. Medigap plans no longer include prescription drug coverage.  If you also want drug coverage, you need to purchase a Part D Prescription drug plan.

Medigap policies don’t cover everything

Medigap policies do no cover  long-term care , vision or dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or private-duty nursing.

The following policies are not Medigap plans

Some types of insurance aren’t Medigap plans (Medigap plans are secondary to Medicare, the following are not)

• Medicare Advantage Plans (like an HMO, PPO, or Private Fee-for-Service Plan)
• Medicare Prescription Drug Plans
• Medicaid
• Employer or union plans, including the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP)
• TRICARE
• Veterans’ benefits
• Long-term care insurance policies
• Indian Health Service, Tribal, as well as Urban Indian Health plans

Want To know the difference between Medigap and Medicare Advantage? CLICK HERE

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.

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