Finding Medicare Supplement Coverage

Medicare plans

There are 10 Medicare Supplement insurance (Medigap) plans.  Each plan offers a different level of coverage to offset costs not covered by Medicare.  These plans are designated by letters of the alphabet:

These plans are standardized.  This means that no matter what insurance company you buy your Medicare Supplement plan from, the benefits are the same.  In other words, if you buy an "A" Medigap coverage plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield, the plan benefits would be the same as an "A" plan purchased from say, Humana.  Additionally, benefits are not affected by where you live.  If you buy plan an "F" plan in Fort Myers, Fl, and at some time in the future, move to Atlanta, GA, your coverage benefits will remain exactly the same.

Medicare also uses letters of the alphabet to designate different segments of Medicare coverage (Medicare Part A, Part B, Part C and Part D.)  These letter dominations are separate and completely unrelated to the Medicare Supplement plan styles.

How to qualify.

To qualify for a supplement plan you must already be enrolled in part A and Part B of Medicare.  Typically, if you are an U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident of at least five continuous years, you automatically qualify for part A of Medicare, once you turn 65.  If you've worked and paid at least 10 years of Medicare taxes (These taxes are usually deducted from your paycheck by your employer), you'll usually receive Medicare Part A for free.  You may also get Medicare Part A without a premium if your spouse has paid a sufficient about of Medicare taxes via his/her employment.  If you do not qualify for free Medicare part A coverage, in most cases, you can pay a monthly premium to acquire it.  Once you turn 65, Medicare part B coverage can be purchased by paying a modest monthly premium.