How To Get Your Medicare Coverage

How To Get Your Medicare Coverage In Place The Best Coverage, The Lowest Premiums,
Easy And Guaranteed!

Choosing the right combination of Medicare benefits can be very easy when you have the right information in front of you.  You will either have the Original Medicare Plan, and add a Medigap (Medicare Supplement) plan to cover the charges that Medicare doesn’t cover; or, you will sign up for a Medicare Advantage plan, that includes Parts A and B, along with additional coverage.

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Coverage Options: Original Medicare,
Medicare Advantage, Part D Rx, and Medigap Plans

Original Medicare Plan (Part A and B)

This fee-for-service plan covers many health care services.  You can go to any doctor or supplier that is enrolled and accepts Medicare and is accepting new Medicare patients, or to any hospital or other facility.  For most Americans, Medicare Part A (hospital coverage) is free, while Medicare Part B cost most Americans $96.40 per month (monthly premiums are higher for those with an income over $85,000 single, or $170,000 family).

If you stay with the Original Medicare Plan you will want to add a Medicare Supplement plan (also known as a Medigap plan), to cover what Medicare does not.

You can learn more about Medicare on our Medicare Information page.

Medicare Health Plans (Medicare Advantage, Part C)

These plans are approved by Medicare and run by private companies.  When you join one of these plans, you are still in Medicare but not on the Original Medicare Plan.  They provide all of your Part A (hospital) and Part B (medical) coverage.  They generally offer extra benefits, and many include prescription drug coverage.  These plans often have networks, which means you may have to see doctors who belong to the plan, go to certain hospitals to get covered services, and get a referral to see specialists.  In many cases, your costs for services can be lower than in the Original Medicare Plan, but it is important to check with the plan because the costs for services will vary.  One of the reasons these plans are so popular is that most Medicare Advantage plans are free, although you will continue to pay your premiums for Medicare Part B.

Go to our Medicare Advantage Plans page to learn more about these plans, including a no-cost plan that includes a Medical Savings Account, giving you more control over your healthcare spending.  Medigap Advisors can help you find the best Medicare Advantage plan for your needs – just give us a call at 866-323-1441.

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (Part D)

These plans add prescription drug coverage to the Original Medicare Plan, or to some Medicare Advantage Plans.  In most cases, Part D coverage does have a monthly premium, though this coverage is included free of charge on some Medicare Advantage plans.

Learn more about Medicare Part D Prescription Coverage.

Medigap (Medicare Supplement Insurance) Policies

These policies help pay some of the health care costs that the Original Medicare Plan doesn’t cover.  If you are in the Original Medicare Plan and not a Medicare Advantage plan, you will want to get a Medigap policy to help cover the extra health care costs.

To view examples of costs you could pay if you are in Original Medicare, without a Medigap Policy, see this chart from page 10 of the Choosing a Medigap Policy published by the Department of Health and Human Services.

There are 12 different Medigap Plans, plans A through L.  Though the price may vary from one company to another, the benefits of these plans are the same, regardless of which insurance company you purchase your coverage through.

All plans offer coverage for “core benefits,” meaning hospitalization, blood, and your 20% co-insurance for outpatient medical services such as doctor visits.  Other plans also offer coverage to help pay your Part A or B deductible, Part B “excecss” charges (the amount your doctor may charge above the Medicare approved limits), your portion of the bill for skilled nursing, medical care while traveling outside of the U.S., at home recovery, and preventative care.  These seven benefits are combined with the core benefits in various ways to make up the various Medicare Supplement plans.  Medicare Supplement plans do not cover Prescription drugs.

Read the details about Medigap Plans, then give us a call at 866-323-1441 and we’ll be happy to help you sort through your options and sign up for the right plan

Help Choosing A Plan

At MediGap Advisors, we offer Medicare plans from many different companies, depending on your zip code.  Companies we work with include American National Life Insurance of Texas, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, HumanaOne, Golden Rule/UnitedHealthcare, and Mutual of Omaha/United World Life Insurance Company.  Our objective is to help you find the best coverage, with a financially strong company, at the lowest available premium.

If you are interested in purchasing a plan, and would like personal assistance in choosing a plan, our team is here to help.  Just give us a call at 866-323-1441.  Request a telephone appointment with one of our Personal Advisors.  Your Personal Advisor will help you fully analyze all your options, let you know the pros and cons of the various plans you are considering, and give you their professional opinion as to which plans will best meet your needs.  We’ll then help you get enrolled with the plan you choose.

How to Do It Yourself – 3 Easy Steps

If you would rather do your own research, just follow these easy steps.

1.  Decide if you want a Medigap Plan, or a Medicare Advantage Plan

In general, Medigap plans are more popular because they have less restrictions on which doctors you can go to.  The benefit with Medicare Advantage plans is that they are typically free.  One popular Advantage plan is the MSA Plan, in which a Medical Savings Account is set up and funded for you, giving you more freedom in how you spend your healthcare dollars.   (More information about this plan is available on our Medicare Advantage page).

2.  Look at Rates and Compare Plans

The first step in choosing a plan is to look at the rates.  To do so, you can use our quote engine to run instant quotes.  Our instant quote engine can rapidly show you the available plans in your area, so that you can get an overall feel of what premiums will be for the different plans.

Mutual of Omaha is known as one of the low cost leaders for Medicare Supplement plans, especially for those just turning age 65.  Mutual of Omaha offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, B, F and G.

Medicare Supplemental plans are offered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield are also a very popular option in many states.  Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, B, F, I, J, and High Deductible Plans F and L.

In some parts of the country, Humana One may offer lower premiums on Medicare Supplement insurance.  Humana One offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, B, C, F, and High Deductible Plan F.

Golden Rule, underwritten by United Healthcare is another popular provider of Medicare Supplement insurance plans.  Golden Rule offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, C, F, and G. 

Medicare Supplement plan benefits are determined by the federal government, so all companies selling a particular plan must offer the same coverage.   So in most cases, you’ll want to look at who has the lowest premiums.

The most popular Medicare Supplemental insurance plans are offered by Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield.   Click to view Instant Medicare Supplement quotes and apply online with Anthem.  Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, B, F, I, J, and High Deductible Plans F and L. In some parts of the country, Humana One may offer lower premiums on Medicare Supplement insurance.  Humana One offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, B, C, F, and High Deductible Plan F. Golden Rule, underwritten by United Healthcare is another popular provider of Medicare Supplement insurance plans.  Golden Rule offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, C, F, and G. Mutual of Omaha is known as one of the low cost leaders for Medicare Supplement plans, especially for those just turning age 65.  Mutual of Omaha offers Medicare Supplement Plans A, B, F and G.

To further lower your monthly premium, you may want to consider choosing a higher deductible on your Medicare Supplement plan.  High deductibles are available on Plans F and J, with an annual deductible of $2000 before your coverage kicks in.

3.  Apply for Coverage

Once you decide on a plan, you can apply using the secure online application (available with many of the insurance companies), or open and print out an application and fax or mail it to us.  If you are applying with Mutual of Omaha, you can conact MediGap Advisors at 866-323-1441 and we will be happy to assist you in taking your application over the phone. 

All applications are submitted under the name of Wiley Long, the president of MediGap Advisors.  If you are working with one of our advisors, that person will be noted on your record as your assigned contact.

As soon as we receive your application, we will review it for completeness, and forward it to the insurance company’s underwriting department.  The underwriters then make the decision on insurability, and issue the policy.  Approval sometimes occurs in as quick as a day, while other times it can take two or three weeks or longer.  We’ll keep you informed the whole way, and let you know as soon as you’ve been approved.

Remember, if you are applying during the open enrollment period when you turn 65, you are guaranteed to be accepted for coverage, regardless of your past of present health history.  This six month period when turning 65 is the only time you are guaranteed to be approved for Medigap coverage without having your health history reviewed.

How to Keep Your Premium Low

Hospital stays usually cost well over $1,000 per day, and serious illnesses or injuries can run into the tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars.   So the main purpose of health insurance is to protect your savings and assets should a major unexpected health expense occur.  Keeping this in mind, the following are methods of keeping your premiums low.

Managed care: Policies that allow you to go to any doctor of your choice are inevitably more expensive than managed care policies in which you choose from a list of doctors and hospitals.  Fortunately, most major PPOs are accepted at between 80-90% of medical facilities nationwide, which does not restrict your access to the providers of your choice very much at all.  In fact, having a PPO plan can save you a lot of money, even if you don’t meet your deductible.

Higher deductibles: The deductible is the amount you pay before the coverage kicks in.   By taking a high deductible MediGap plan, you are taking on some of the risk yourself, and can often save well over 50% on your monthly premium.  Plans F and J are available with a $2,000 deductible, often saving clients $2000 or more a year in premiums.

Compare many policies, or let us compare plans for you.  Because of the big price differences among plans, finding the right plan can save you a lot of money. 

Stay healthy: Due to the way health insurance premiums are rated, premiums always increase, and usually at an accelerating rate.   Healthy individuals can change policies when that becomes advantageous, without having to worry about lack of coverage on pre-existing conditions.

Investigate Medicare Advantage Plans: Medicare Advantage Plans combine your Medicare Part A and B coverage along with additional benefits not covered by Medicare.  These plans are offered at no additional cost.  You simply continue to pay your monthly Part B premium.  More information on these plans can be found on our Medicare Advantage Plans page.

Why Use MediGap Advisors

When purchasing a health insurance plan, it is very important that you choose the right place to buy it from.   Unfortunately, most insurance agents are focused on only one thing: selling the next policy.  Here is the typical experience of the average individual shopping for health insurance.  They send in their application, and then wait.  If they call the insurance agent and ask about the status of their application, they typically get directed to call the insurance company directly.  The attitude of most agents seems to be "Hey, I sold you the policy, my job is done."

If you get coverage from MediGap Advisors, here are some of the benefits you’ll receive:

• Direct and regular communication on the status of your application while it is in the approval process, so you’re never left wondering what’s going on.
  
  
• Our personal assistance in appealing any unexpected waivers or exclusions on your policy.  We are quite good at getting risk adverse insurance companies to remove exclusions that should not be on your policy.
  
  
• Our Annual Comprehensive Policy Review.  Each year we’ll offer to review your coverage against what else is available, and let you know if it might make sense to change plans.  This will save you thousands of dollars over the coming years.
  
  
• Many insurance plans to choose from, so you can find the best value now, and have a choice of plans to switch to if your plan ever has a large rate increase
  
  
• Help with claims or any other questions or problems you may have with the insurance company, anytime now or in the future
  
  
• Access to a true expert who can answer your questions and help you choose the best plan, and answer questions you may have now or in the future (not a phone bank with 150 operators taking orders!)

We provide this high level of service to everyone who does business with us.  Sign up for coverage today, and see for yourself.  If you have questions you may submit them through this website, or give us a call.  If you would like our assistance in choosing a plan and need to speak for more than just a minute or two, please call our office and tell the receptionist you would like to set up a phone appointment. 

Your Medicare Supplement Insurance Professional Advisors!

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