The Medicare Supplement Insurance plan comparison chart below is a great tool you can use to learn about your potential coverage options and to see which type of plan may be right for your needs.
This chart outlines the benefits that are covered by each type of Medicare Supplement Insurance plan (also called Medigap).
Medicare Supplement Benefits | A | B | C1 | D | F1 | G | K | L | M | N |
Part A coinsurance and hospital costs | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Part B coinsurance or copayment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
First 3 pints of blood | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
Part A hospice care co-insurance or co-payment | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ |
Co-insurance for skilled nursing facility | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | ✓ | ✓ | ||
Medicare Part A deductible | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | 50% | 75% | 50% | ✓ | |
Medicare Part B deductible | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
Medicare Part B excess charges | ✓ | ✓ | ||||||||
Foreign travel emergency | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | 80% | ||||
1. Plans C and F are not available to new beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. 2. Plans F and G also offer a high deductible plan which has an annual deductible of $2,370 in 2021. Once the annual deductible is met, the plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the year. The high deductible Plan F is not available to new beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020. 3. Plan K has an out-of-pocket yearly limit of $6,220 in 2021. Plan L has an out-of-pocket yearly limit of $3,110 in 2021. 4. Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to $50 for emergency room visits that don’t result in an inpatient admission. View an image version of this table. |
As you can see from the chart above, there are 10 types of standardized Medicare Supplement Insurance plans available in most states, each identified by a letter: A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N.
Plan F and Plan G also offer a high-deductible version. High deductible Plan F and high deductible Plan G typically offer lower monthly premiums in exchange for having a high deductible that must be met before plan coverage kicks in.
Medigap plans can cover up to nine of the following out-of-pocket 2021 Medicare costs. Each type of plan will offer a different combination of some or all of these benefits:
There are a few things to note when analyzing the above Medicare Supplement Insurance plans comparison chart.
As of January 1, 2020, Plan F and Plan C are longer available to new Medicare beneficiaries. If you already were eligible for Medicare before Jan. 1, 2020, you may be able to enroll in Plan F or Plan C if either is available in your area.
The most popular Medigap plan is Plan F, which is the only plan to provide maximum coverage in each benefit area.
Because Plan F is not available for new beneficiaries who became eligible for Medicare after January 1, 2020, Plan G will likely become the most popular Medigap plan for new Medicare beneficiaries.
Plan G covers more Medigap benefit areas than any other Medigap plan (other than Plan F).
There are a few things to keep in mind when comparing Medigap plans.
First, keep in mind that Medigap coverage is standardized, which means a plan of any given letter will offer the exact same coverage as another plan by the same letter, no matter where they were purchased.
So for example, Medigap Plan N in New York will offer the same standardized benefits as Plan N in California.
Next, ask yourself some questions such as:
Next, you’ll want to compare plan availability and costs in your area.
Not all Medigap plans are available in every location, so some types of plans may or may not be available where you live.
The cost of plans can vary based on different factors, including your location and the insurance company who provides the plan, so you may want to consider the costs of each type of plan that's available near you.
One way to compare Medigap plans is to get in touch with a licensed insurance agent who can help you review the selection of plans available in your area. To get help finding the right plan for your needs, you can visit MedicareSupplement.com.
Medigap Plan N and Plan G offer the same standardized benefits except for one area: Plan G provides coverage of Medicare Part B excess charges while Plan N does not.
You may face Part B excess charges if you visit a health care provider who does not accept Medicare assignment. This means they reserve the right to charge up to 15% more than the Medicare-approved amount for covered services or items.
If your favorite doctor does not accept Medicare assignment, or if you do a fair amount of traveling around the U.S. and could potentially need to seek care from a provider who doesn't accept Medicare assignment, you may want to consider Plan G to have full coverage of any Part B excess charges.
However, if you only visit providers who accept assignment (most providers do accept Medicare assignment), and Plan N is more affordable in your area than Plan G, you may be better off selecting Plan N.
This is just one example of how you might compare one plan to another to get an idea of how each plan may fit in with your health care needs.
The best time to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Insurance plan is during your Medigap Open Enrollment Period. This six-month period begins as soon as you are 65 years old and enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B.
If you enroll in a Medigap plan outside of your Medigap Open Enrollment Period, you may be subject to medical underwriting by the insurance company selling the plan. This means that you could be charged higher premiums or denied a policy altogether based on your age and health.
To get help using the Medicare Supplement Insurance plans comparison chart and to find the right plan for your needs, visit MedicareSupplement.com today!
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