Please be aware that this year there is a change of when that Open Enrollment will occur.  This year, it will take place between October 15th to December 7th.

Hence, if you are planning on changing from a Medicare Advantage Plan to a Medicare Supplement Plan or changing your Medicare Part D Plan, please make sure to put a reminder on your calendar.

For more information, please contact a Medigap agent or visit www.gomedigap.com.

There is Original Medicare (which contains Part A hospitalization services and Part B preventative care,) and you may choose whether or not you desire a Medicare Supplement and a Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plan,

Medicare Part B is not free; it has a monthly premium determined by the federal government.  Medicare Supplements and Medicare Part D Prescription Drug Plans are also available for premiums and are provided by private insurance companies. 

With all of these separate plans which can add up, you really want to be sure that you are getting the best deal you can on your Medicare Supplement policy.

For more information, please contact a trusted agent and visit www.gomedigap.com.

Be careful if you choose not to purchase a Medicare Supplement when you are in your Open Enrollment or a Guaranteed Issue period.  Once you develop chronic illness, you may not be able to get a Medigap policy or may be able to get one at a price much higher than you are wanting to pay.  

 Medigap plans can be affordable, even for those living on a fixed income if you do research. Since Medicare was never designed to cover every expense related to healthcare, it’s nice that the government offers these standardized plans to help out where they can.

And remember, when it comes to Medicare Supplements, it’s better to get them sooner rather than later.  Take a moment to check out Medicare Supplements and see which ones best suit your needs or might help you out in the future.

 For more information on Medicare supplement insurance and Medigap plans, visit www.gomedigap.com.

You do, though, need to take time to see which plan best suits your needs and then go from there to choose the one that works for you.

Once you have chosen a plan, you can contact any private insurance company that offers the plan you need to get a free quote. Make sure that you shop around, because every company is allowed to set their own premiums and you need to find the best deal that you can.

When it comes to Medigap plans, it is always better to get them sooner rather than later. Later might come sooner than you think, and you might lose your eligibility before you are able to get a policy. Take a moment to check out Medicare Supplements and see which ones best suit your needs or might help you out in the future.

 For more information on Medicare Supplement insurance and Medigap plans, visit www.gomedigap.com.

If a rate increase goes into effect during the initial rate lock period the client owns a policy, the rate increase will occur for that client at the first premium payment date after the end of that period.

A policy holder may receive consecutive rate increases.  This usually occurs if a new rate increase goes into effect soon after the end of the client’s rate lock and accompanying rate increase. 

Attained age is also a reason for an increase in rate.  For policyholders in attained-age states, the premium payment amount increases each year on the first policy payment date.

Also be aware that insurance premiums increase due to rising health care costs (caused by inflation) as well as increases in Medicare’s deductibles and copayments (which increase each year.)  No one enrollee of a Medicare Supplement policy is singled out for a rate increase.

A Medicare supplement plan can help to cover the rest of the amount that is owed.  Depending on which Medicare supplement plan chosen, it may even cover all of your medical, bills leaving you with basically no out of pocket expenses (at least for your medical needs.)

Medicare supplement Plans are regulated by the federal government and thus made standard.  Each individual plan type must contain the same coverage.  However, their prices are definitely not regulated in the same manner as Medicare supplements are provided by private insurance companies who can name their prices according to their own guidelines. 

One of the best traits of Medicare supplements (also known as Medigap) is that they do not have networks of doctors and other health practitioners.  As long as the practitioner accepts Medicare, he or she will accept a Medicare supplement.  The claim will simply go through Medicare first then onto the supplement to pick up the specified remainder (according to the Plan chosen.)

One of the most popular Medicare supplement Plans is the Plan F, simply because it does pick up the entire remainder of what Medicare does not cover.  No muss no fuss!  However, due to Plan F’s all encompassing nature it is a bit more expensive than its also popular brethren the Plans G and N.

Please be sure to do your research before you decide which Medicare supplement to apply for, and make sure to start researching your options a good few months before you will need that extra coverage.  You want choose a Plan that will be a good fit for you.  If you choose wisely the first time, you may never need to go through the hassle of finding a new Plan and making a new application again.

A Medicare Advantage Plan provides Medicare-covered benefits for little to no premiums and Medicare pays them to provide Medicare-covered benefits.  In other words, MedicareAdvantage Plans work in place of Medicare.  Types of Medicare Advantage Plans include HMOs, PPOs, and PFFS.  Deductibles, co-pays, additional premiums may be required for certain services and not all doctors are covered as “in network.”   You typically choose your doctor from a network.

Medicare Supplement Plans are funded by policyholder premiums, with federally standardized benefits Medicare Supplement plans are funded by policyholder premiums.  With a supplement plan their are NO surprises. The benefit structure is locked in. You know what you’re getting year to year.

While Medicare Supplement plans can only be cancelled by you or your lack of premium payment, Medicare Advantage Plans must undergo government review each year and risk termination.  Additionally, with Medicare Supplements, you choose your doctor.  All doctors who will accept Medicare will accept a Medicare Supplement.  While Medicare Supplements are more expensive, they may cost you less out of pocket.

For more information, please visit www.gomedigap.com or contact a

The truth is the cost of the supplement will be the same whether you go through the insurance company or an independent broker.  When the insurance company receives clients from the broker, they give a portion of the profits made off of that client to the broker.  In other words, the client will not pay any more for the policy if he or she gets it from a broker; the insurance company will just share the profit with the broker.

Brokers also are usually licensed with several different providing insurance companies so that they can place you with the one which will be in your best interest; they should not have allegiance to any one insurance company.

For more information on Medicare Supplements, visit www.gomedigap.com.

Medigap Plans M and N are cost sharing plans.  Both of these plans feature lower premiums but may have higher out of pocket payments for medical expenses.  These plans do not cover the Part B deductible (currently $162.40 per year) or Part B excess charges.

Plan M covers half of the Part A deductible (currently $1132 per seperate 60-day admittance.)  Plan N does cover the Part A deductible, but it will have instances in which co-pays will be required. 

Plans M and N may serve as suitable low cost alternatives to Medicare Advantage Plans.  To learn more about Medigap Plans M and N, contact a trusted agent or visit www.gomedigap.com.

While Medicare itself has coverage outside of America in only a few select circumstances, Medicare Supplement foreign travel emergency does provide some coverage when you travel outside of the United States.  (Please note that according to Medicare, “outside of the United States” means anywhere other than the 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Somoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands. )

Medicare Suppplement Plans C, D, E, F G, H, I, J, M, and N cover 80% over certain charges abroad which are deemed medically necessary once you have met your $250 yearly deductible.  These plans will cover emergency medical care if it occurs within your first 60 days of your being outside of the United States and does have a  $50,000 limit.   Also be aware that while Plans E, H, I, and J are no longer sold, their coverage will still hold true if you currently have one of these plans.

It is of utmost importance to consider not only your health but also your health coverage before you vacation outside of the U.S.  For more information, please contact a trusted agent and/or visit www.gomedigap.com.