MEDICARE SUPPLEMENTS
How do Medicare Supplements work?
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Medicare Supplement plans, also known as Medigap policies, are issued by private companies and pay secondary to Medicare.
In other words, you show two cards at the doctor or hospital - Original Medicare card and a Supplement card.
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Plans range from A-N, with varying benefit structures. Generally speaking, if Medicare pays first, the supplement will pay second, though most plans do have a deductible and some also have coinsurance or copays.
Supplements generally do not include extra benefits like dental and vision.
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Premiums vary between carriers and plans, typically $100-$300 per month.
Things to Consider
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Is my doctor willing to bill Original Medicare as primary?
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Do I travel outside of my resident area for extended periods of time?​
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Should I add a prescription drug plan? See more info.
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Am I eligible for other coverage such as Tricare, VA, or an employer group plan?
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Is the monthly premium within my budget?
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Do I feel comfortable with some cost-share like copays?
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1 Plan pays Part B coinsurance or copayment except for an insured copay of up to $20 for each doctor's office visit and up to $50 for each emergency room visit (emergency room copay waived if admitted as inpatient).
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2 Benefit is 80% after the $250 annual deductible with a $50,000 lifetime maximum for Foreign Emergency Care that begins during the first 60 days of a trip period.
3 The plan pays 100 percent of covered services for the rest of the calendar year once beneficiaries have paid the out-of-pocket annual limit and annual Part B deductible ($240 in 2024).