Senior citizens who reach the age of 65 and certain other Americans are entitled to receive Medicare benefits. Medicare insurance pays a great deal of the costs, but it does not cover everything.
Medicare recipients need to contribute toward some of their medical expenses, and this can be costly for people. Private insurance companies began to offer Medicare Supplemental coverage that would help people pay a portion or all of these additional costs.
Medicare Supplement Plans
Supplemental plans are also called “Medigap” plans because they close the gaps that Medicare leaves behind for patients to pay. Medicare recipients can choose between Medigap plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. These different plans cover varying portions of the patients’ remaining costs, with the most affordable being the plan that covers the least.
What Is Covered Under the Medicare Supplement Plans?
Although Plan F is the least affordable Medigap plan, it tends to be the most popular because it covers 100 percent of what is left for patients to pay. If the patients’ benefits under Medicare Part A run out while they require further hospitalization, Plan F will pay for a maximum 365 additional days. This plan also pays the co-insurance that people are charged under Medicare Part A. The plan will pay the patients’ deductibles for both their Medicare Part A and Part B coverage and any excess charges related to Part B.
The other plans are not quite as extensive as Plan F. If Medicare recipients can live without payment of their Medicare Part B deductibles, they may purchase Plan G for a lower price. To lower their premiums even further, patients can opt to forgo coverage for both the Part B deductible and Part B excess charges with Medigap Plan D. Plan B does not pay Part B extra costs nor does it pay the co-insurance for a stay in a skilled nursing facility. Plan A eliminates coverage for all of the above as well as any emergency coverage when people travel outside of the country.
Those who purchase Plan N will have what is covered under Plan D, but their co-payments for office visits could be as much as $20. Co-payments for visits to the emergency room could amount to $50. Plans K, L and M pay a percentage of some of the costs that have been described here with plan M paying 100 percent of remaining expenses except for Medicare Part A’s deductible. Currently, this plan only pays 50 percent of the deductible.
Plan K pays 50 percent of any co-insurance and co-payments charged to the patients, but it will pay 100 percent of the excess charges under Medicare Part A. Plan L pays for everything that Plan K pays, but this plan covers 75 percent of these costs.
How Are Claims Processed?
Processing the claims for a Medicare supplement will not require that patients do anything. Their doctors’ offices will bill Medicare. If there are any excess charges, Medicare will bill the supplemental insurance company that will, in turn, pay for any covered procedures.
Medicare Supplement Plans
Supplemental plans are also called “Medigap” plans because they close the gaps that Medicare leaves behind for patients to pay. Medicare recipients can choose between Medigap plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N. These different plans cover varying portions of the patients’ remaining costs, with the most affordable being the plan that covers the least.
What Is Covered Under the Medicare Supplement Plans?
Although Plan F is the least affordable Medigap plan, it tends to be the most popular because it covers 100 percent of what is left for patients to pay. If the patients’ benefits under Medicare Part A run out while they require further hospitalization, Plan F will pay for a maximum 365 additional days. This plan also pays the co-insurance that people are charged under Medicare Part A. The plan will pay the patients’ deductibles for both their Medicare Part A and Part B coverage and any excess charges related to Part B.
The other plans are not quite as extensive as Plan F. If Medicare recipients can live without payment of their Medicare Part B deductibles, they may purchase Plan G for a lower price. To lower their premiums even further, patients can opt to forgo coverage for both the Part B deductible and Part B excess charges with Medigap Plan D. Plan B does not pay Part B extra costs nor does it pay the co-insurance for a stay in a skilled nursing facility. Plan A eliminates coverage for all of the above as well as any emergency coverage when people travel outside of the country.
Those who purchase Plan N will have what is covered under Plan D, but their co-payments for office visits could be as much as $20. Co-payments for visits to the emergency room could amount to $50. Plans K, L and M pay a percentage of some of the costs that have been described here with plan M paying 100 percent of remaining expenses except for Medicare Part A’s deductible. Currently, this plan only pays 50 percent of the deductible.
Plan K pays 50 percent of any co-insurance and co-payments charged to the patients, but it will pay 100 percent of the excess charges under Medicare Part A. Plan L pays for everything that Plan K pays, but this plan covers 75 percent of these costs.
How Are Claims Processed?
Processing the claims for a Medicare supplement will not require that patients do anything. Their doctors’ offices will bill Medicare. If there are any excess charges, Medicare will bill the supplemental insurance company that will, in turn, pay for any covered procedures.