When you think of Medicare or Medigap you may first shift your line of thought to a very stuffy and government run process that doesn’t have much flexibility. While this would be fair because of the way the government runs most programs, there are some flaws in this line of thinking. First, many people don’t realize that discounts are available on Medigap policies depending on your Medigap provider.
continue reading "Controlling the Cost of Medigap Policies: Discounts"

When looking for coverage to supplement your original Medicare
coverage there is only one place to look, Medigap (or Medicare
Supplement Insurance) policies. These policies are designed to give
extra help and coverage to those that are concerned about having
enough coverage under their original Medicare policies. Here is a
basic understanding of what Medigap policies must cover under Federal
law.
continue reading "What do Medigap Policies Cover?"

Medigap policies exist to support Medicare policies that may fall short in certain areas where you happen to need more coverage. This is no different when your insurance involves Tricare and a Medicare policy that needs assistance. We will attempt to break this down a little further to make sense of the situation that we face.
continue reading "How Does Tricare Interact with Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap)?"

Sometimes the most important part of an insurance policy isn’t what it is, but rather what it isn’t, or what it doesn’t cover. This is really important when you are considering what Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) plan to choose, or if you even need one. Below are a few things that are not covered by these Medigap plans, making it easier for you to decide how to protect your physical future.
continue reading "What Medigap Policies are NOT"

Medicare used to be simple.  Part A – the free part – helped with hospitalization, which is what it does today.    Part B, which handles doctor’s visits and other outpatient issues, still does the same.  There are then other parts of Medicare from Part D on up.  Part D covers prescription drug coverage.

If you have a lot of special expenses including prescriptions, it is a good idea to look into Medicare Advantage policies.  There are various Medicare Advantage plans through numerous private insurance companies.  The good thing is that if you decide to purchase part “F” let’s say, from any insurance company, the coverage is exactly the same.  The problem is that since there are not tight restrictions upon Medicare Advantage you could end up paying a great price for a certain plan with one company and end up paying two, three or four times as much with some of the other companies – for the same exact coverage.

So, in addition to researching and determining what type of policy you need and what coverage you need, you also need to determine what prices will work best for you.  The best place to start finding this information is to access Medicare at www.medicare.gov that will be accurate and provide information, links, phone numbers and more.

No matter what, it is important to determine whether or not you need Medicare Supplements , which ones you need and, how much they will cover and how much they will cost.

Do you have questions about Medicare and Medicare Supplements?  If you do, you’re not alone.  It seems like every time we think we get it, there’s another point we missed or another change.  By the time we get to the end of the year for open enrollment, which is happening from now until the end of December, they give us more confusing information.  We will try to clear a few things up here.

There are many parts to Medicare and each part covers something different. The parts are named by letters, starting with A, and continuing with B, C and D. A is hospitalization, B is medical and doctors, D is drug coverage. C used to be Medicare Choice, but it is now known Medicare Advantage (still C or MA). C is optional Medicare private insurance instead of the original Medicare plan.

If you have A and B, you are responsible for some hefty deductibles, and you will need to purchase another plan to fill these gaps. This is called a “Medigap” plan or Medicare Supplement. Part C. This part sometimes includes D, but not always. There are a number of D Plans which cover different things and it is important to check and determine which plans are best for you.  If you have never had Part D prescription drug coverage, it is especially important for you to do some research and make some comparisons before you sign up for a particular plan.
Part D is optional as long as you have Part A and Part B.  Part A is free for most people, but the rest of the Parts of Medicare involve some premiums and/or copayments.

You can get official information about Medicare and Medicare Supplements at www.cms.gov or www.medicare.gov, which are both official Medicare websites.  Try to do this when you have the time to sit for a while, as in some states there are over 30, 40 or even 50 plans available.
There are usually various free seminars regarding Medicare and Medicare Supplements during this time of year.  Check for them at your local senior center, your local hospital, your office on aging, or your local Medicare or Community Services offices.

We have only given a brief overview here.  Hopefully will be a solid start that helps you as you begin to wade through the many parts of the Medicare and Medicare Supplement system.

Medicare Supplemental Insurance, or a Medigap plan, is purchased to help you fill in the gaps where your current Medicare plan may fall short.  These policies can be very important to help you survive with your income in case of some sudden emergency.  For this reason it is very important to know why your insurance company can drop your supplemental insurance at any time.
continue reading "Medicare Supplemental Insurance: When Can My Policy be Cancelled?"

Many people are still confused about Medicare Supplemental Insurance, even though since 2006 there have been 12 plans that are standardized. This is where the confusion comes in. Plans from Plan A through Plan L are also called Medigap plans. Each plan covers different things and has different benefits at different costs from very inexpensive to more expensive because of the coverage they provide.

The lower the cost, the fewer the benefits and individuals who need Medicare Supplements must look at each supplement and determine which one has the coverage they need at the cost they can afford.

The real confusion is that all of the supplements are not available in every state. Then there are other states that offer all of the supplements but they are offered under different names.

Now for the most confusing part of all. Each supplement offers the same benefits no matter which company is offering them. Unfortunately, many of the people selling these supplements add to the confusion of many seniors by making them think that this is not the case. In addition some salespeople try to sell individuals coverage they don’t need and is too expensive – but pays the salesperson a higher commission.
continue reading "Choosing Medicare Supplements – What’s the Difference?"

Medicare is supposed to be designed to help all of its beneficiaries, and individuals with disabilities are no exception.  In fact, individuals with disabilities depend on their Medicare coverage in a way that many of us cannot understand.

It is important for individuals with disabilities to  be able to understand how Medicare works, how the supplements work and how Medicare Advantage or Medigap will work for them.

For instance, many people who have been on traditional Medicare stay with it and plan to purchase Medigap supplemental insurance in addition to it.  The problem is that there are rules that govern supplemental insurance and these rules can make it difficult, if not impossible, for individuals with disabilities to get coverage due to pre-existing conditions.  These conditions are either excluded altogether or have greatly reduced coverage.

There is a solution for individuals with disabilities and pre-existing conditions.  Medicare Advantage plans are required to accept most individuals regardless of these conditions.  Medicare Advantage plans can provide more coverage and better coverage than Medigap plans, and they cannot use medical history to exclude a person from coverage.

Some Medicare Advantage plans also offer dental and vision coverage, as well as prescription coverage that would have to be purchased by opting for various supplement plans and Medicare Part D if a person did not choose the Medicare Advantage plan. 

There is, of course, research required to find the coverage or combination of coverage that fits your situation best, however it can be done.  There is help available through various sources including an organization called Allsup.  Allsup has created an online Medicare Advisor that is impartial and is designed especially to help individuals with disabilities find the best coverage for their situation.

If you are an individual with a disability or a pre-existing condition looking for the best Medicare coverage and supplements, there is assistance for you that will eliminate the confusion in the process.

To access the Medicare Advisor, go to www.allsup.com or call 1-866-521-7655. 

Medicare Supplement insurance policies will vary by state based on the insurance companies that sell the policies in your area.  This is for your protection so the state insurance departments can evaluate the insurance companies and make sure the policies are legitimate.  It is all well and good for you that it is done in a way to protect you, but the question becomes, how do you know who is selling to you and what they are selling?
continue reading "How to Find Medicare Supplement Policies in Your Area"

MedicareSupplementPlans.com Says News Legislation Could Affect Physical, Speech Therapy Benefits for Medicare Recipients

MedicareSupplementPlans.com, one of California’s largest independent insurance agencies specializing in Medicare supplement insurance plans, says MARS Act could allow seniors on Medicare to receive certain necessary services without a cap. By removing the cap, these senior would get the services they need..

This legislation which is designed to remove Medicare’s annual benefit cap on outpatient rehabilitation services, including physical and speech therapy, could be acted on by Congress later this year.

“This is great for seniors on Medicare,” said Alan Weinstock, an insurance agent at http://www.MedicareSupplementPlans.com, who indicates that, if passed, the legislation could benefit seniors financially and improve their access to certain types of health care. This is great for seniors on Medicare

The Medicare Access to Rehabilitation Services (MARS) Act is designed to ease health care costs and improve health care access for seniors confronting age-related diseases, such as heart disease, strokes, or Parkinson’s. Currently seniors receiving outpatient rehabilitation services have an annual dollar limit of $1,840.00 for care. Once the dollar amount is reached, the care stops for the remaining calendar year, although that dollar amount resets every year on January 1. MARS will repeal the cap on therapy services for Medicare beneficiaries if Congress takes action by December 31, 2009.

Proponents of the cap removal argue that the current process disrupts continuity of health care services for Medicare recipients and requires beneficiaries reaching the therapy cap to choose between stopping their necessary care or continuing with the care and paying 100 percent of the cost. The concern is that the caps can preclude seniors from getting the care they need to maintain a healthy quality of life.

With the cap removed, seniors will not have to stop getting essential services if they do not have the money to pay for them. If you have ever been in a situation where you are receiving physical therapy but have not healed all the way and had to stop the therapy, the digression can be fast, can really take a toll on the body – and mind – and the hard work done sometimes for months in order to progress, can be basically eliminated, putting the person in a position to start over again. This is costly, painful, emotionally difficult and serves no purpose. With the new act – if it is approved – there would actually be savings for everyone.

We should all keep an eye on what Congress does about this situation before December 31st to effectively deal with this situation.

Medigap Plan N, like its predecessor Plan M, are the only options for Medigap plans that do not offer assistance with the first three pints of blood. However, unlike Plan M, Plan N does offer full assistance with the Medicare Part A Deductible, which is good news if you plan to use Part A regularly. Still no coverage is available for the Medicare Part B Deductible or Excess Charges, which is similar to Plan M.
continue reading "Medigap Enrollment 2012: What is Plan N?"

Medigap Plan M again changes things up on us by making some coverage options unavailable and others available, and offering only a percentage of help with one option. Instead of getting full assistance with the Medicare Part A Deductible as some of the plans offer, Plan M only offers 50% assistance with this. This is better than Plan A that does not offer any assistance but is less than every other Medigap Plan except for Plan K that offers only 50% as well.
continue reading "Medigap Enrollment 2012: What is Plan M?"

Medigap Plans K and L will offer you a different take on the Medigap approach by giving you some assistance with what previous Medigap plans offer, though only a percentage. In order to understand these plans you have to look at them as an offer to get more than Medicare coverage while still getting slightly less than the other Medigap Plans. Let’s take a look at the differences.
continue reading "Medigap Enrollment 2012: What are Plans K and L?"

Medigap policies are another name for Medicare Supplemental Insurance policies. These policies are designed to pick up where your basic Medicare leaves off and they are supposed to pay for things that basic Medicare does not, such as deductibles and co pays.

There are nine Medicare Supplement policies and they all are named by a letter of the alphabet. Plans A through G gradually increase in price and plans H,I, and J are no longer available. Plans L and K have high deductibles which means that your premiums are lower but you pay for more expenses out of your own pocket. Each suppemental policy is just a little different than the next. They all cover different things and some would be appropriate and work well for a person’s particular situation. Others would not necessarily work in a particular situation.

It is important to study each supplement to find out which fits your particular situation the best so that you are not paying for coverage that you don’t need and so that the coverage you are paying for actually covers what you need. Plan F is the plan that sells most, likely because of its balance of benefits and affordable cost.

No matter what company you get supplements through they are the same. Each of the nine covers only specific things unique unto itself, however if you purchase plan A through G from any company, the coverage is the same. The only difference can be the premiums, which can vary greatly from company to company. For instance, AARP might charge one price, Mutual of Omaha another price and United American a third price, yet the coverage is exactly the same. It is essential to make sure you are getting the best price possible, so if you are looking for part D, all the companies should be offering the same coverage, but one company could charge you $100 for the policy while another company charges $175 for the same exact coverage. Why would a person pay and extra $75 to pay for the exact same coverage?

This is why it is important that you thoroughly review each of the lettered supplements thoroughly before you decide upon what to purchase. If you are unsure which is best for you, call 1-800-MEDICARE and get further information.
Make sure you do your research because a little time and some reasonable premiums can save you hundreds, and possibly thousands, of dollars.