Medicare Supplement Plans are those medical items and services which are not part of a Medicare program. They are purchased by independent contractors and are designed to fill in the gaps left behind by Medicare coverage.
Medicare Supplement Plans are marketed by pharmaceutical companies, medical suppliers, hospitals, and other independent providers. Medicare Supplement Plans can also be sold by government agencies and through Medicare Part D plans. Some Medicare Supplement Plans are managed by third-party companies.
Medicare Supplement Plan G are standardized as a series of policies that cover a variety of different medical topics. Medicare Supplement Plans cover items that Medicare does not provide coverage for. Medicare Plan G, for example, is a comprehensive supplemental health insurance plan available to people who are either disabled or above the age of 65 and are currently enrolled in Medicare. Plan G also is among the most comprehensive Medicare part of plans that are available for purchase.
Medicare Supplement Plans can be customized to suit the needs of individual seniors. To qualify for a specific Medicare Supplement Plan, a Medicare beneficiary must meet several strict requirements. Medicare Supplement Plan coverage varies from plan to plan, with different items and treatments requiring varying levels of cover.
Medicare Plan G provides coverage for medical procedures that are deemed necessary only after Medicare has failed. A beneficiary’s monthly Medicare Supplement premium would take into account these expenses, thus reducing the premium payment for each individual.
Each month, the Medicare Supplement Plan beneficiary would have to decide what Medigap coverage to purchase based on the current health of their bodies and what they would pay for each month should a major health issue arise.
Medicare Supplement Plans differ from traditional Medicare Parts A and B in a variety of ways, including premium payments and benefits covered, as well as how benefits are selected by the plan. Although Medicare Supplement Plans cannot choose the best possible Medicare options for each individual, the vast majority of them provide at least some level of Medicare coverage. The types of services covered under Medicare Supplement Plans may include vision care, hearing aids, prescription drugs, and complementary health services.
Medicare Supplement Plan offerings do not cover all of the items listed above, but they can often affordably cover many of the other items. Medicare Supplement Plans may also offer a more comprehensive option to Medicare than the original Medicare program.
There are differences between Medicare Supplement Plans and traditional Medicare Parts A and B. Medicare Supplement Plans are standardized by insurance companies, but the government controls eligibility to ensure that everyone can participate.
Unlike Medicare Parts A and B, which are standardized by states, Medicare Supplement Plans are designed for every age group. Medicare Supplement Plans may cover premiums, deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, or both. Medicare Supplement Plans are not required to cover all of the services provided by Medicare Parts A and B. Medicare Supplement Plans are not subject to the rating standards that Medicare Parts A and B are.
Medicare Supplement Plans can be purchased through private companies that are not licensed Medicare providers. Some companies provide this type of insurance as a bundled service with another product, such as UnitedHealthcare. Other companies have developed specialized plans for seniors.
Examples of these companies include Aarp Health, BCBS, Blue Cross/ Blue Shield, Fortis Short-Term Health Care, and GE Long Term Care Insurance. Some states, such as California, have taken steps to limit the amount of insurance provided through these companies since they are not licensed agents for Medicare.
