Medigap policies: What Does Medigap Cover?

Medigap policies are a system of 10 standardized Medigap plans with designations A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. They are designed to provide more coverage for Ordinary Medicare in addition to all or part of the expenditure that Medicare does not cover like visual, dental, pharmaceutical, or long-term coverage. The aim of the Medigap policies are to refund you for all the expenditure made out of your pocket for Medicare Part A and Part B.  These programs are provided by private insurance companies.

What does Medigap Cover: Justification for Medigap Policies

1. The cost of serial medical needs may negatively impact your finances

Specialists say that considering basic Medicare without supplementary insurance (Medigap policies) could be a costly mistake. In a 2018 study, about 19% or 6.1 million had only basic Medicare with no additional coverage. Whereas Part A is free for many beneficiaries, it comes with a $1,556 deductible in . And while Part B comes with a low $233 deductible in , you typically pay 20% of the remaining costs, usually doctor services – including while you’re receiving inpatient care at the hospital, or as an outpatient.

If you have been wondering what does medigap cover, you must know that with the 20% deductible in mind, remember that there is no limit to the amount that you can pay out of pocket. For example, if you suffer a cardiac arrest, require multiple surgeries, and hospital visitations, you could wind up bankrupt, literally.

Heart bypass surgery requires over $100,000, according to Statista, while heart-valve replacement can cost an excess of $170,000. Now if all those charges where run through Part B, your 20% share should be at around $20,000 for the heart bypass and $34,000 for valve replacement.

2. It reduces stress moving forward

When you first enlist in Medicare Part B, you are allowed six months to buy suitable Medigap policies without an insurance facility prying into your health history to decide whether to give you cover. After that window, you would have to undergo medical history queries.

Who uses Medicare supplement insurance?

Medicare insurance plans protects you from exorbitant out-of-pocket charges accrued over numerous hospital visits. Also, you might want to consider a Medicare Supplement insurance plan if you’re in one of the following what does medigap cover scenarios:

• You travel abroad frequently and would like an insurance coverage for emergency medical care (something that Part A and Part B may not provide. Some Medigap Policies provide foreign travel cover (e.g. Plan C, Plan D, Plan F, Plan G, Plan M, and Plan N). These programs essentially pay 80% of emergency medical costs covered for beneficiaries outside the US.
• It is plausible that you receive numerable hospital treatment over the course of the year
• You’re always having regular doctor visits or need medical attention often

It is noteworthy when explaining what does medigap cover to state that you pay a premium for any Medicare supplement insurance plan, but the plan may cover your hospice costs and other out-pocket expenditure. Hence, you may have to do some calculations to determine whether your out of pocket charges under Original Medicare would be greater than your Medicare Supplement premium costs.