Medicare Supplements

Some Medicare beneficiaries want a plan that covers everything so they don’t have to worry about out-of-pocket expenses. Others simply want some of their deductibles and copays paid for but are mostly worried about low premiums. Ultimately, the choice is up to you. 

For a guide to plan comparison, visit our Plan Comparison page.

Every company has to follow the standardized guidelines set by Medicare. The Medigap plans are Plan A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. No matter which company you purchase your Medigap plan from, their plans feature the same set of benefits.

The monthly premium will be the only difference.

Visit our Medicare Supplement Plans page for further details on the plans.

Medicare Supplemental Plan F has the highest level of coverage. It pays for all of your cost-sharing on covered services so you have no out-of-pocket expenses. 

Medicare Supplemental Plan G is the second-best in terms of coverage. The only thing not covered is that you still pay the Part B deductible once per year. This keeps your Medigap premium lower and, in turn, may save some beneficiaries some money in the long run.

Original Medicare only covers 80% of your Part B expenses. The other 20% comes out of your pocket if you do not have a Medigap policy. 

If you were to have lengthy treatment or some seriously expensive ones, you can see how that could rack up.  

Medicare Supplements pay that 20% for you.

Things that are not covered by Original Medicare or your Medicare Supplement: 

• Routine dental, vision, and hearing exams
• Hearing aids
• Eyeglasses or contacts
• Long-term care or custodial care
• Retail prescription drugs

Each of the standardized Medigap plans available in most states cover:

• Medicare Part A hospitalization costs, such as coinsurance amounts, for up to a year after your Part A benefits are used up.
• At least a portion of Medicare Part B copayments or coinsurance amounts (for example, for covered doctor visits).

Beyond that, each plan offers different benefits and some, like plan F and G are popular because they pay 100% of your cost-sharing responsibility. 

It is important for you to sit down with your medical bills and find out where you could most use the assistance of a Medicare Supplement plan. Or you could talk to a licensed Medicare agent from Bobby Brock insurance and they can help you find a policy that works best for you.

Some people who are eligible for Medicare choose to wait to enroll because they have group health coverage through an employer. Once they retire, they have the right to purchase select Medigap policies within 63 days of losing group coverage. This window is called Medicare Supplement guaranteed issue rights. 

This window is sort of like open enrollment with Original Medicare, except the window — again, 63 days — is a smaller period of time and the plans will be limited to A, B, C, F, K, and L. Insurance companies cannot deny your application for any reasons during your guaranteed issue window. 

There are other instances in which you have a guaranteed issue. These can vary depending on which state you live in, so be sure to ask a licensed Medicare agent at Bobby Brock insurance to see what options are available for you.

Once you have Medicare Part B, you have six months to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan with no health questions. This is a one-time open enrollment in which you cannot be turned down for any health conditions, you cannot be asked any medical questions, and you cannot be charged an additional premium for health reasons. 

However, once this one-time enrollment is over, insurance companies can begin to refuse you based on health. 

This is why open enrollment is an important time to remember.

If you missed your window for open enrollment or guaranteed issue, don’t worry! You can still apply for a Medicare supplement plan. 

You will just have to answer health questions on your application.