Wednesday, 19 October 2016

What Does Medigap Insurance Cover

By Larry Price


People who are close to retirement age should take the time to find out how they apply for Medicare benefits as well as gap coverage. The first thing to do is learn what gap coverage will do. Gap plans are purchased from a private company to supplement your Medicare coverage. The Medigap insurance coverage picks up the costs that the original Medicare does not cover. These costs include co pays, deductibles, and cost for care outside the US.

What the gap coverage will not pay for is dental and vision care or eyeglasses and hearing aids. In addition, there is no coverage for long term care or private duty nurses. Also, for prescription drug coverage folks will have to acquire a separate policy under Part D to cover their medications. Individuals will pay a premium each month for gap coverage that is separate from the Medicare B coverage.

Only folks who are already covered by Medicare A and B are eligible for gap insurance. Part A covers hospital and part B pays for doctor costs. It is important to know that if you have an Advantage plan, the gap coverage is not available to you. It is also important to learn which plans are offered where you live. Information is available online or through the department of insurance for your state.

Gap plans A through N are the standard plans offering a variety of coverage levels. Do a side by side comparison of the plans that are available. This is the best way to see which plan has the coverage you will need. Keep in mind that if you are a new subscriber you can not get plan E, H, I, and J.

Each company charges different premium amounts for their coverage. It is important to note that all standard plans offer the same benefits. For instance, plan C has the same benefits regardless of the company that is offering it. Not all the states require the same standards for gap coverage plans.

The time to purchase a gap plan is during open enrollment. This is the period of time that is six months prior to the first day of your sixty fifth birthday month. However, you must be signed up for Part B of Medicare or within 6 month of when you signed up. You will be able to purchase the gap coverage for the premium a healthy person pays.

If you attempt to buy gap coverage once the opportunity has passed, there is no guarantee that you will get coverage. If you do get a gap policy, there is some risk that you will pay a higher premium. You should understand that you will be paying a premium for part B Medicare, and a premium for gap insurance to a private company.

Of course, your premium will depend on the plan you choose, the insurance company, where you live, and how old you are. When you purchase a standardized gap plan you are guaranteed that it is renewable as long as your premiums are paid on time. This is true even for those who have pre existing health issues.




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