Best Medicare Supplement Plans in Texas

You’ve enrolled in Medicare. Check! Wouldn’t it be easy if that were all you needed for comprehensive retirement coverage? Unfortunately, there are many situations where you’ll need additional insurance for services or conditions that Medicare doesn’t cover. Learn about the five best Medicare supplement plans in Texas

 

Best Medicare Supplement Plans in Texas for 2023

Medicare doesn’t cover hearing, dental, or vision plans, prescriptions, extended hospital stays, or nursing facility stays over three weeks. Plans A and B also have deductibles and co-insurance. Many citizens have found that if they don’t opt for additional Medigap insurance coverage, their out-of-pocket costs end up totaling tens of thousands of dollars—for just one year.

Enrolling in one of the Medicare supplement plans in Texas in 2023 might be a good option for you if:

• You want to keep your own doctors. With Medicare itself, you can see any doctor that accepts Medicare. Likewise, with Medicare supplement plans, you can use any doctor that accepts Medicare
• You move around from state to state. Maybe you want to take your RV and see the country. Perhaps your children live in varying states and you spend long periods visiting them and your grandchildren. Whatever it is, choosing one of the best Medigap providers in Texas allows you to go where you wish!
• Travel to other countries. If your travel bug is coaxing you further out, that’s fine, too! Most Medicare supplement plans cover healthcare outside the United States. However, this coverage comes with a $250 deductible, 20% co-insurance, and a lifetime max payable amount of $50,000.
• You don’t want to worry about coverage cancellation. Medigap providers in Texas can’t cancel your policy due to health changes or excessive claims.

You can enroll in Medicare Supplement plans on the first day of the month in which you turn 65 (and when you’ve already enrolled in Medicare Part A or B). This is known as their Open Enrollment period, and there is no health underwriting at this time.

You can also enroll in a Medicare supplement plan at any time once you are over age 65, but your application may be subject to underwriting approval if you don’t qualify for a special enrollment period (due to, for example, moving out of the area of coverage of your previous plan).

The Most Popular Plans in Texas for 2023

Choosing Your Level of Coverage

Medigap Plan G is the most popular option for retired US citizens. This plan covers:

• The full Part A deductible
• Full Part B coinsurance (20%)
• Part B excess charges

You’ll also enjoy no copays; however, the beneficiary is responsible for the Part B deductible.

Medicare Plan F is also a choice that many people make, but it is only available to people who turned 65 in 2019 or earlier. With this plan, you receive coverage for:

• The full Part A and Part B deductible
• 20% of Part B coinsurance
• No copays
• Part B excess charges

Medicare Plan N also covers the deductible for Parts A and B, as well as 20% of the Part B coinsurance. With this plan, the beneficiary must pay $20 physician copays and $50 ER copays (if they aren’t admitted upon being seen). They also pay Part B excess charges.

As a generalization, Plans A-G have higher premiums but lower out-of-pocket costs. These are good for beneficiaries who know that they will have plenty of visits and services that need coverage each year. Plans K-N, on the other hand, are cost-sharing plans that still offer the same range of benefits but do so with lower premiums and higher costs when visiting the doctor and using services.

If you would like to enroll in Plans C, F, and High Deductible Plan F, you may only do so if you qualified for Medicare before 2020. However, anyone who qualified after January 1, 2020, can sign up for any Medigap Plan.

Unfortunately, even the best Medicare Advantage plans in Texas for 2023 don’t include dental, hearing, or vision coverage because Medicare Parts A and B do not cover these. So, you’ll still need an additional plan for those.

Medigap plans also do not cover nursing or retirement home care, in-home nursing, or prescriptions. They do, however, cover the first three pints of blood transfusions that you might need each year.

Choosing a Medigap plan in Texas can seem like you’re having to choose between very similar plans… how do you know which is right for you? All Medigap plans that have the same letter, such as F, G, or N, have the same benefits; however, the services and pricing can be quite different depending on the provider.

Now, we’ll detail the top five best Medigap supplement plan providers in Texas for 2023 to help you decide which plan is best for you.

Continental Life Insurance

Continental Life Insurance is one of the most popular Medigap providers in Texas. They have been working for almost 40 years to provide Medicare benefits to hundreds of thousands of patients, ensuring high levels of financial security, while offering the customer service that only comes with a smaller company.

Continental Life Insurance offers Medigap Plan G coverage in Texas underneath the umbrella of Aetna. They also offer plans A-D, F, and K-L. Double check with your Personal Benefits Planner to verify that the plan you want is offered in Texas.

To be eligible for this program, you need to be at least 65. You must also be currently enrolled or in the process of enrolling in Medicare Part A or B.

United of Omaha

Almost 1.5 million Americans choose United of Omaha (and their sister company, Mutual of Omaha) to apply for their choice of the best Medigap plans in Texas. They provide extensive benefits—over $6.5 billion in covered healthcare a year to their beneficiaries and policyholders.

 This company’s most popular plans are F, G, and N.

Plan F covers extra charges that Medicare does not cover. Plan G requires that you pay the annual deductible for Part B (in 2022 it was set for $233) before they will pay out for any benefits. Plan N requires the same deductible pay as Plan G and also has a $20 copay for each doctor visit, and a $50 copay for non-admitted ER visits.

Mutual of Omaha differs from other providers in its Mutually Well program. With this program, they offer:

• Discounts on products to help you live a healthy lifestyle
• Discounts on services from over 20,000 specialists
• Access to fitness-program membership with no enrollment fees or contracts and over 10,000 locations
• Free health and wellness program with nutrition planning, fitness resources, wellness education, and a 30-day walking program

UnitedHealthcare

UnitedHealthcare is available in all 50 states, including Texas. They have been around for almost 50 years. Many people are comfortable choosing UnitedHealthcare because they had coverage from them through their employer before retiring.

This insurance provider has an A rating from AM Best, and they have a 96% approval rating from their customers.

UnitedHealthcare is often chosen because they provide extensive perks to their members. These include:

• Enrollment up to six months before your 65th birthday
• Household discounts
• Free application
• No cancellations (unless you don’t pay)
• 30-day trial period
• Silver Sneakers gym membership (in selected areas)

UnitedHealthcare plans can be applied for online or over the phone if you need extra assistance. 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas

When you choose Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, you enjoy benefits such as:

• Freedom to choose any doctor or specialist who accepts Medicare
• Domestic travel coverage
• Guaranteed renewability, even if your health status changes
• Coverage that will always match Medicare’s cost increases
• No claim forms (except in certain circumstances)

You will also enjoy BCBSTX perks, including The Blue Extras Member Discount Program, which provides:

• Reduced-price wellness products
• Vision and hearing services
• Fitness club memberships
• Weight management programs
• Alternative medicine options
• …and much more!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Medi-Share 65+: The Affordable Alternative to Medigap

In recent years, an innovative and affordable alternative to higher-cost Medigap plans has been gaining in popularity: tThe Medi-Share 65+ plan.

Medi-Share 65+ is a heathsharing plan, not a traditional insurance policy like Medigap plans.

Like Medigap, Medi-Share 65+ helps seniors manage high out-of-pocket costs due to Original Medicare deductibles, copays, and co-insurance.

And lLike Medigap, Medi-Share 65+ doesn’t restrict you to a limited or local network of care providers, but lets you choose your own doctor anywhere in the country – and even abroad.

How Medi-Share 65+ Works

With Medi-Share 65+, you pay the first  $500 in Original Medicare (Part A and Part B-approved) out-of-pocket expenses for your family each year. These costs include deductibles, coinsurance, and copays under Medicare Parts A and B. This is called your annual household portion.

After that, all medical services approved under Original Medicare will be shared by your fellow Medi-Share members.

Note: With Medi-Share, your annual household portion is per family. This is very different from Medicare and Medigap deductibles, which are calculated per individual. 

If you and your spouse are both enrolled in  Medi-Share 65+, your combined out-of-pocket exposure to Original Medicare deductibles, coinsurance, and copays for the year is still just $500.

A Christian Healthsharing Ministry Organization

While Medigap plans are sold and run by for-profit insurance companies, Medi-Share 65+ is run by a non-profit 501(c)3 healthsharing ministry organization.

In this case, Medi-Share is an overtly Christian organization. Members must affirm that Jesus is God, affirm the Holy Trinity, attend services regularly, and agree that Christians have an obligation to share each others’ burdens. 

Additionally, Medi-Share members must agree to live according to Biblical principles. As a condition of membership, members may not use tobacco, nor drink to excess, nor abuse drugs, including prescription drugs. When applying,  members you must affirm that theyyou have not used tobacco or engaged in substance abuse within the previous 12 months. 

Pricing

Medi-Share 65+ pricing is much lower than comparable Medigap plans in nearly all cases. The monthly contribution for Medi-Share 65+ is $99 for members ageds 65 to 74, and $150 for those ageds 75 and older.

If you are enrolled in Medigap Plan G or Plan N, or you’re considering either of these plans, compare the monthly premium with Medi-Share 65+. In most cases, Medi-Share 65+ is significantly less each month.

For more information on Medi-Share 65+ or to enroll online in minutes, click here. 

The Best Healthsharing Medigap Alternatives in Texas

Medi-Share 65+

In addition to the cost-sharing benefits, Medi-Share 65+ plan members also have access to several other discount programs and perks, including: 

• A discount drug plan
• 24/7 telehealth access to board-certified MDs
• Discounts on dental, vision, and LASIK. 

Conclusion

Aside from these five high-quality Medigap plans, there are several others. Any Medigap plan in Texas offers the G and G High Deductible options, and most also offer A and N. All doctors that accept Medicare are covered under Medigap plans in Texas for 2023.

The most important thing to remember is that any given plan with the same letter covers the same benefits under any provider, so you simply need to find the price that works with your budget. Not all Medigap plans cost the same, so that’s why research is so important.

Almost all providers have to increase their rates a bit each year, but if you work with a licensed broker or Personal Benefits Manager, you can make it more likely that your rates won’t go up any more than expected.

If you prefer to talk to someone about your specific needs, or if you need further assistance to choose the plan that’s right for you, our Personal Benefits Managers are here to serve you! Schedule a chat by clicking here.