What is Medicare Supplemental Insurance?

Medicare Supplement plans, or Medigap, are insurance policies sold by private insurance companies that are licensed to sell Medicare plans. They help you pay for out-of-pocket costs for services covered under Medicare Part A and Part B. These costs include deductibles, coinsurance, copayments, hospital costs after Medicare pays its share, skilled nursing facility costs, and more. Some Medicare Supplement insurance plans even include coverage for medical services while traveling outside the United States.

Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) is extra insurance you can buy from a private insurance company to help pay your share of costs in Original Medicare.

You can only buy Medigap if you have Original Medicare. That means you have to sign up for both Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) before you can buy a Medigap policy.

You get a 6 month “Medigap Open Enrollment” period, which starts the first month you have Medicare Part B and you’re 65 or older. During this time, you can enroll in any Medigap policy and the insurance company can’t deny you coverage due to pre-existing health problems. After this period, you may not be able to buy a Medigap policy, or it may cost more. Your Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a one-time enrollment. It doesn’t repeat every year, like the Medicare Open Enrollment Period.

All Medigap policies are standardized. This means, they offer the same basic benefits no matter where you live or which insurance company you buy the policy from. There are 10 different types of Medigap plans offered in most states, which are named by letters: A-D, F, G, and K-N. Price is the only difference between plans with the same letter that are sold by different insurance companies.

Every Supplemental policy must follow federal and state laws designed to protect you. It’s important to watch out for illegal practices by insurance companies, and protect yourself when you’re shopping for a Supplemental policy.

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