When Medicare Supplement Insurance is the Right Choice
Original Medicare is U.S. government-sponsored health insurance program for the elderly and disabled which provides health coverage for many Americans over the age of 65 as well as for those considered permanently disabled.
��It��s surprising how many working adults don��t realize that Medicare doesn��t always cover all their medical expenses,�� notes Alan Weinstock, insurance broker at cool-watch-online.com. ��They often find that they need some sort of supplemental insurance to help defray costs.��
Choosing Original Medicare with Medicare Supplement Insurance
Medicare is actually split into four parts called Medicare Part A (hospitalization), Medicare Part B (physician services), Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) and Medicare Part (prescription drug plan).
Medicare Part C combines Parts A, B and often D into one HMO or PPO plan called Medicare Advantage. It requires the beneficiary to utilize providers and services within a defined network.
On the other hand, you can choose Medicare Parts A, B and D separately and then purchase a Medicare supplement insurance plan (also known as Medigap). A Medigap policy is a type of private insurance that helps you pay for some of the costs that Original Medicare doesn��t cover, such as co-payments and deductibles.
Comparing Medigap Policies
Medicare supplemental insurance is regulated by the federal government. This makes it so that private insurers can offer only standardized Medicare supplement policies. This makes it easy for consumers to compare different policies.
Depending on where you live there are up to 10 different Medigap benefit packages. At one time there were 12 (known as Medigap Plans A through L); however Read more…
