Empire Blue BCBS New York Medigap Review

Blue Cross does business in New York as Empire BlueCross and Empire BlueCross/BlueShield. The venerable health insurance giant offers a number of Medicare supplement insurance (Medigap) plans to New York Medicare beneficiaries and those entering their initial enrollment period.

Empire BlueCross is a subsidiary of Elevance Health. 

Medicare supplement insurance provides additional protection against health care costs that aren’t covered under basic Medicare Part A and Part B, such as deductibles and copays.

Empire Blue’s Medigap coverage allows New York residents to pay a relatively low and predictable premium. In return, Empire BlueCross’s New York Medicare supplement insurance plans will cover many medical costs that would otherwise come out of pocket.

Empire BlueCross Medigap plan options

Medicare supplement plans are standardized in most states. New York residents can choose among several of these standard plans, each providing a different set of coverages and benefits. 

For example, Plans A, B, G, F,  and N all cover hospital copays and costs that aren’t covered under Medicare Part A. Plans G and N also pick up coinsurance charges for skilled nursing facilities. Plans A and B both exclude skilled nursing coinsurance charges, but charge a lower monthly premium.

All of Empire BlueCross’s plans except for Plan A cover the deductible for Medicare Part A.

Each plan except for Plans A and B covers 80% of medical costs incurred while traveling abroad.

Only Plan F covers the Part B deductible, except for a copayment of up to $20 for physician office visits, and a copay of up to $50 for ER visits that don’t result in a hospital admission.

Note: Plan F is no longer open to new enrollees.

Empire BlueCross also offers Medicare Advantage coverage. However, Medicare supplement insurance gives beneficiaries more freedom to choose their own care providers: Medigap enrollees aren’t limited to a plan network. Instead, Medicare supplement insurance covers benefits at any provider that accepts Medicare patients.

Portability

Because Medicare supplement insurance doesn’t rely on a limited network of providers, you can take your plan with you anywhere in the country. If you’re planning on moving, or doing a lot of travel for any reason, your Medigap plan will cover you anywhere in the U.S.

Additional benefits

In addition to the standard Medicare supplement set of benefits, each Empire Blue Medigap plan also offers enrollment in the Silver Sneakers fitness benefit at no additional cost.

Prescription Drug Coverage

Prescription drugs aren’t covered under any of Empire BCBS New York’s Medicare supplement plans. However, Medicare beneficiaries who want prescription drug coverage can enroll in a separate Part D plan that will provide assistance with drug costs.

How to enroll in a Empire BlueCross Medicare supplement plan

First, you must be a resident of the State of New York and eligible for Medicare. You must also be enrolled in at least Medicare Part A and Part B.

To sign up today, or simply discuss your options, call us today at 1-800-913-3416 (toll free), or click here to request a confidential telephone consultation. We can help you narrow down your choices to the plan that best matches your individual needs. All our services are 100% confidential, and always 100% free of charge.