With Original Medicare Parts A & B, you can receive health insurance for many care needs. However, even with Medicare, you still face a cost responsibility. For some, this might seem inconvenient. You might wonder if you can receive any
supplementary help for outstanding costs. Indeed, you often can with the help of a Medigap insurance policy. What are these plans? What will they cover?
Medigap insurance has another name--a Medicare supplemental plan. It helps supplement the costs you might face even once you carry Medicare itself.
Understanding Medigap Plans
With Medicare, you might have to pay costs like coinsurance, copayments and deductibles. Many Americans find these affordable. Nevertheless, others might find the cost overwhelming. To potentially lower their out-of-pocket expenses, some turn to Medigap policies.
Under these private plans, policyholders can get further coverage for these outstanding costs. For example, if you have to pay coinsurance, this policy can help you pay some or all of the existing costs. Not only that, you might be able receive coverage even for services Medicare doesn’t pay. Many plans, for example, cover certain care received outside of the U.S.
Though Medigap plans vary, they’ll often help you save exponentially on out-of-pocket medical costs. Qualifying individuals can therefore protect their own solvency.
You Responsibility for Medigap Plans
Medigap plans often won’t cover every outstanding medical cost you might encounter. There are many Medigap policies out there. So, it’s up to you to determine your own cost responsibility when you select coverage.
- In some cases, Medigap plans won’t cover the full cost of all existing out-of-pocket expenses. Nevertheless, many do. Indeed, most cover the full cost of your Part A coinsurance. However, others might only pay a percentage of the remaining costs. Some might require you to pay copayments in full, while paying the rest of costs, for example.
- At times, you’ll have to pay your annual deductible in-full before a Medigap plan will step in to cover you.
- Medigap plans will include a premium. You must pay your insurer so that you can maintain this coverage. You also will still have to pay the premium on your Original Medicare coverage.
- Keep in mind, if neither Medicare nor your Medigap coverage pay for a treatment, you will have to do so on your own.
Not everyone can benefit from a Medigap plan. Furthermore, not all plans are available in all areas. Thus, talk with your Medigap agent at 877-209-4949 to determine whether a policy is the right coverage for you.