Medicare Supplemental Insurance Quotes - Medicare Supplements Made Easy

What is a Medicare Supplement?

"What is a Medicare Supplement?" is a question that plays over and over again by you and anyone close to you before you turn age 65. Medicare Supplements go by several different names- supplemental insurance, medigap plans or policies, or Medigap insurance. I will help you answer that question along with general questions about Medicare. Medicare may seem very confusing, but it is actually a fairly simple concept. Medicare is made up of four parts, A through D.

The whole concept behind Medicare is that it is designed to cover 80% of all hospital and doctor bills, leaving you with the remaining 20% to cover out of your own pocket. Part A of Medicare is your hospital coverage. Before Medicare will pay 80% of your hospital costs, you must fulfill the Part A deductible of $1132 every 60 day benefit period. That could potentially be a huge cost! Part B is your doctor coverage. Before Medicare will step in and pay 80% of your doctor costs, you must fulfill a deductible of $162 every year. Therefore, traditional Medicare leaves you exposed to three gaps in coverage-the remaining 20% of hospital and doctor expenses, the Part A deductible, and the Part B deductible.

That's where the question of, "What is a Medicare Supplement?" comes into play. A Medicare Supplement is a health insurance policy for American citizens age 65 and older that is designed to cover some, if not all, of the three gaps traditional Medicare leaves for you to cover out of your own pocket. There are several different letter plans, Plans A through N. Each different lettered plan represents a different cost and coverage point. In my professional opinion, there are only three Medicare Supplements plans worth looking at - Plan D, Plan N, and Plan F. Plan D covers all the gaps EXCEPT for the $162 Part B doctor deductible. Plan N is identical to Plan D except that it requires you to fulfill a $20 copay to go see any doctor and a $50 copay for the emergency room. Plan F is the best plan available as it covers absolutely everything under an affordable monthly premium.

The premiums are based on what company you choose and where you live.

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