Health Services not covered by Medicare

Medicare covers most but NOT ALL health services, and does not usually pay 100 percent of the cost even for covered services. Even if Medicare covers a service, you generally have to pay your deductible, coinsurance, and copayment.

Health services not covered by Medicare

Health services not covered by Medicare include (but are not limited) the following: Read more…

Medicare Supplement E-Apps

Medicare Supplement E-Apps

Until recently, the only way for an agent to enroll a non-local client in a Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan was by using regular mail. The paper application was sent, the client completed and signed it, and the completed application with the enclosed check was mailed back to the agent. The agent then sent or faxed the application to the vendor. Not anymore. The power of the Internet and electronic applications (E-Apps) offered by many vendors raised the Medigap enrollment process to a new level. Read below about all the advantages using Medicare Supplement E-Apps. Read more…

Medicare Supplement Household Discount

Medicare Supplement Household Discount

You may be entitled to the Medicare Supplement household discount if the state where you live allows the discount and the Medicare Supplement vendor whose policy you are using offers the discount. Most states do allow the Medicare Supplement household discount. The typical rebate is 5 to 7%. The vendor offering the discount is state specific; a company offering the discount in one state may or may not provide it in other states.

There are two types of household discounts available. Read below. Read more…

Medicare Extra Help SEP: How to change your plan at ANY TIME?

UPDATED on Jan. 5, 2019.  How can you change your Medicare plan at ANY TIME using the Medicare Extra Help SEP?

You may change your Medicare Advantage or Prescription Drug (Part D) plans ONLY at specified enrollment periods. The two most known of them are Initial Coverage Enrollment Period (ICEP) that occurs when you turn 65, and Open Enrollment Period that runs every year between October 15 and December 7. Outside of those periods, you can only change your health and prescription plan coverage, if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). Using SEP you may change a Medicare plan at any time or at specific times depending on the SEP’s nature. Read more…

Are Medicare Supplement company ratings important?

Are Medicare Supplement company ratings important?

For most types of insurances, the company name and rating are essential. The Medicare Supplement, also known as Medigap, is an exception from this rule. For Medicare Supplement company ratings are NOT really important. The reason is the standardization of plans and centralization of processing.  Read below.

Why are the Medicare Supplement company ratings NOT Important? – Standardized Plans

  • All Medigap plans are standardized. There are 10 standard plans, defined by their letter, each of them with a specific set of benefits. A particular Medicare Supplement plan (for example, Medigap Plan F) from one company is THE SAME as the plan identified by the same letter from any other company. The difference is the price, and it may be quite substantial from vendor to vendor.
  • As in Original Medicare, there is no network for any Medigap plans. As long as your doctor/hospital accepts Medicare, he/she is obliged to accept any standardized Medicare Supplement plan from ANY company.

Why are the Medicare Supplement company ratings NOT Important? – Centralized Claims Process

  • Medigap claims are processed through the centralized Medicare “crossover” system. ALL Medicare Supplement companies use the same system. It effectively links Medicare Part A and Part B with Medicare Supplement plans and assures the same payment schedule and the same payment amount no matter what the Medicare Supplement company is.
  • As a result, there is just ONE Claims Processing System. And because all companies use it, the role of specific company name and rating in the claims process is minimal.

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Contact Us

If you are looking for Medigap coverage, let us guide you. To view real quotes from Medigap plan providers, please fill out our Medicare Supplement Quote form, or give us a call at 877-657-7477.

Why are Medigap plans popular?

Why are Medigap plans popular?

Most people who have Medicare also have some form of supplemental insurance. Only 12 percent of people do not have any supplemental coverage. Medigap plans, also known as Medicare Supplement Plans, is one of the major sources of supplemental insurance for people with Medicare.  And their share is growing. So, why are Medigap plans popular?

Read more…

How Medicare covers Mental Health Care – 2019?

UPDATED Jan. 13, 2019.  The Medicare Part B covers Medicare Mental Health Services on an outpatient basis when provided by a doctor, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse-midwife, or physician assistant in a doctor or other health care provider’s office. Medicare only covers visits when they are provided by a health care provider who accepts Medicare. Read more…