Important Details About Medicare Supplements

Plans like G and N

Photo by Logan Weaver

A Medicare Supplement, also known as “Medigap”, is an add-on to Original Medicare (Parts A and B). However, before you read about Medicare Supplements, you should understand how Original Medicare and Medicare prescription drug plans work.

If you’re already familiar with Original Medicare, Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage, and Medicare Supplements, then you can go here to learn more about Medicare Advantage plans.

What are Medicare Supplements?

Photo by Rob Necciai

Think of a Medicare Supplement as a missing puzzle piece to your Original Medicare coverage and can provide an additional level of coverage on top of your existing Original Medicare.

Things to know about Medicare Supplements:

1. You must have Original Medicare before you can apply for a Medicare Supplement plan.
2. Medicare Supplements are approved by the federal government as an “add-on” to Original Medicare.
3. When you visit a healthcare provider or facility, you should show them your Original Medicare card and your Medicare Supplement card to ensure proper billing.
4. You can have only one Medicare Supplement plan at any given time.
5. The best time to apply for a Medicare Supplement plan is during the first three months of your 65th birthday. This will help avoid delays and ensure that you’ll be approved without answering any health questions.
6. If you apply for a Medicare Supplement plan past the age of 65, you could have to answer health questions and you might not be approved. If you are approved, your monthly premium will be higher than it would’ve been if you had enrolled at age 65.
7. They’re standardized throughout the United States. This means that coverage with Medicare Supplement Plan N is the same with all insurance companies that offer the plan throughout the country.
8. Although the coverage is standardized, their monthly premiums can vary significantly from one…