Medicare Supplement Plans are the types of coverage included in the original Medicare program before it was expanded to cover more of the services a senior citizen might need. Each plan has different benefits and costs, which you should learn about before deciding which is best for you. Although all of them will offer similar coverage, their differences make each one different.
Plan A is the first of the 10 Medicare Supplement plans, covering the least amount of benefits. Medicare Supplement Plan A only covers 100% of 4 things: Medicare Part A coinsurances payments for in-patient hospital care, emergency care, doctor visits, inpatient drug and prescribed medication benefits, and eyeglass coverage. This plan is usually the least expensive of the Medigap options, as it offers the greatest value for the money.
Medicare Advantage plans 2022 cover the same benefits that Part A of Medicare does, except that they also cover additional benefits that are not available through a primary care physician. There are a few other plans that allow people to choose their own primary health insurance company instead of being required to choose Medicare options.
Medicare Supplement Plan B is the next option in the menu of coverage. This option covers the remaining portion of benefits that Medicare does not cover. Medicare Supplement Plan B covers items that Medicare does not cover under its original coverage plans, such as prescription drugs and some vision coverage. These items are not offered by every Medigap plan, so you will want to shop around to find the ones that do offer these extras.
Plan C is the standard plan in the Medicare system. Medicare Supplement Plan C also covers items that Medicare does not cover under its original policy, but does require a premium payment. Some of these policies will also require an out-of-pocket limit on the medications that you pay for with your Medicare supplement insurance coverage. Medicare Supplement Plan C usually has a monthly out-of-pocket limit.
There are other supplemental insurance plans available besides those mentioned above. For example, some plans provide coverage for vision and dental care as well as health care. These coverage gaps leave many people with very limited access to health care. Other supplemental plans also cover items that Medicare does not, such as travel coverage, accident insurance, personal protection insurance, disability income, and certain maternity benefits.
You must understand what each of these items is and exactly how much they will cost you. Even though it may seem like all medicare supplement plans cover everything, they do not. If you have health insurance plans already, you need to make sure that your existing coverage meets the requirements of these additional plans. You can learn more about your available choices by registering for a free Medicare Supplement Guidebook.