GoMedigap » AARP http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog Medicare Supplement Blog Fri, 03 Feb 2012 09:25:58 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Medigap – Understanding Medicare Supplement Insurance http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/medigap-understanding-medicare-supplement-insurance http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/medigap-understanding-medicare-supplement-insurance#comments Thu, 29 Jul 2010 22:06:14 +0000 rcantu http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/?p=622 Continue reading →]]> Medigap is a government-authorized and maintained healthcare coverage that is available to anyone over age 65 or who is disabled, with certain circumstances that need to be met. Taking the time to learn about this insurance can prove to be a great asset in understanding your medical service offerings and what you can or cannot afford to do or have done. Medicare coverage was not designed to be perfect, and has not changed much throughout the years. Since the medical industry and the costs of healthcare have, there needed to be some changes made to the system.

Rather than revamping the entire Medicare program, the government set out to offer 12 individual plans for supplemental insurance, known as Medigap coverage. These plans are comparably similar in some places, but very different in others, and each is designed to work with various levels of Medicare insurance to provide coverage that fills in the gaps in your policy. If you take the time to check out the coverage that you have, you can usually figure out what you need to supplement it quite easily. The first step in getting this coverage is to figure out which plan you need. After that, it’s on to getting quotes.

Medigap insurance is sold by many different private insurance companies. While the policies are all standardized by the government, the rates are not. As such, you will likely want to shop around and compare your rate options and company choices before you choose the one that you’ll work with. Quotes are free, so you should apply for as many Medigap insurance quotes as you want until you are satisfied that you have found the best deal. Note that the best deal might not always mean the lowest price, though.

You also want to consider the service and reputation of the company that you’re getting your Medigap insurance from. Some companies will have better service than others, and their rates might be very different. You should focus on trying to find a policy that is both affordable and has quality service so that you can get the best of both worlds. Most importantly, you should never attempt to acquire Medigap insurance on your own if you are uncertain or have questions. With so many resources out there, it’s really easy to get the help that you need as long as you are willing to ask for it.

For more information on Medicare supplement insurance and Medigap coverage, visit GoMedigap.

]]> http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/medigap-understanding-medicare-supplement-insurance/feed 0 Medicare Supplements – Choices for Those with Chronic Illness http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/medicare-supplements-choices-for-those-with-chronic-illness http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/medicare-supplements-choices-for-those-with-chronic-illness#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 23:03:02 +0000 rcantu http://www.gomedigap.com/medicare-supplement-blog/?p=619 Continue reading →]]> Anyone with a medical history full of illness and disease can understand how hard it is to get good health insurance. Either you have to pay high premiums or you are denied altogether, when you are truly the one who needs the coverage more than the healthy customers. Medicare supplements work in a similar way, but are still afforded to people who are ‘aged in’ to the Medicare coverage. That means once you turn 65, you should get supplemental insurance in case you need it. If you don’t, you might not be able to get it down the road when you become ill and need it the most.

Medicare supplement insurance must be purchased within the time period that you are given to purchase it after you have turned 65. If you drop this coverage after developing a chronic illness or don’t buy it in the first place, you can never get it again. You can still qualify for Medicare coverage with chronic illnesses like heart failure, kidney disease, and others, but you cannot qualify for supplemental insurance. This is the sad truth of the insurance industry, and is uniform across the board. Those who need the insurance will pay more for it because they will be filing more claims than someone who doesn’t need it. After all, how else would the insurance industry be a multi-trillion dollar industry if it didn’t make a profit like it does?

People who have family histories of chronic illness should always get Medicare supplements as soon as they can. That way, when/if they do fall ill, they are covered. However, healthy people don’t need to rush into the coverage as quickly if they feel they will not need it. It is far better to be safe than sorry, however, which is why it is essential to get it while you can. The one advantage that you have with Medicare supplements is that you can be eligible even with a family history of disease, unlike many typical health insurance policies that turn people down who have extensive illness-ridden family histories.

The bottom line: if you have a history of chronic illness in your family and want to ensure that you are protected, get Medicare supplements as soon as you can, so that you don’t have to risk not having the coverage that you so desperately need. When it comes to medical coverage, it truly can be a matter of life and death.

For more information on Medicare supplement insurance and Medigap coverage, visit GoMedigap.

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