Medicare and Medigap Supplements – What is the Difference?

Finding the best Medicare supplement plan that gives you what you need without breaking the bank can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Before enrolling in any plan, you should take the time to learn about the various Medicare Supplements plans. In particular, you need to make sure that you are choosing a plan that fits your current medical needs, but also gives you peace of mind with a strong Medicare supplement coverage built right into the plan. There are suggestions throughout this site about what Medicare supplement products are most appropriate for your situation. This article presents several suggestions that may be helpful to you.

Many patients don’t realize that there are some very important differences between the two different Medicare supplement plans. For example, Medicare part offers many long-term and major-care benefits, including hospital stays, doctor visits, and specialized health care. Medicare part B does not offer these same benefits. These should be included in the selection of medigap supplements plans that you are considering for Medicare. While Medicare coverage is comprehensive, there are often differences between the features covered by each plan. Knowing which features are important for you is important in helping you determine the right plan for your needs.

It is critical to understand that all Medicare advantage plans offer standardized guidelines on covered services. These guidelines allow the plans to be evaluated fairly. However, there are differences between the services covered by each plan, as well as the costs of those services. Many of these services are necessary to maintain optimal health and are therefore not covered by affordable Medicare advantage plans. These services are typically only available through medical insurance plans and not Medicare Advantage Plans.

Another thing to consider when comparing medical plans is your medication needs. Some medications are not covered under Medicare and should be considered in selecting a supplemental plan. If you take medications such as estrogen replacement therapies, insulin, asthma medications, and blood thinners then you may want to find a supplement that offers coverage for these specific medications.

Medicare Part D coverage and Medigap plans both have generic options. However, not all generic medications are approved for these plans and many of these medications are not covered in the Medicare Advantage plans either. There are several medications that are listed in both the Medicare Part D plans and Medigap supplement plans. Most of these medications can be covered with additional cost and are often listed separately from the medications that are not considered in the Medicare Advantage Plans.

Before choosing a supplemental health care plan, it is important to understand the difference between Medicare and Medigap. Both are intended to provide basic coverage for medical expenses, including hospital stays. Medigap covers Medicare Part A and Part B medications. Medicare Supplement Plans allows Medigap to cover additional benefits that Medicare does not offer. Medicare Advantage Plans allows for additional preventive care services, vision care, hearing aids, and additional prescription medications. Both Medicare and Medigap supplements are intended to provide a basic level of health care coverage to the elderly and disabled.