Medicare supplements came into being shortly after Medicare was signed into law. Because you are required to pay for some things, like 20% of outpatient expenses, supplemental policies were created to pay those expenses for you. This allows people to feel less worry over how much each medical visit will end up costing them.

 

Some other things to know about Medicare Supplement insurance:

• You must have Part A and Part B to buy a Medigap policy.

• Medicare Supplement plans cover only one person. Your spouse must have his or her own individual policy.

• You can drop your supplement at any time. There is no annual election period for Medicare Supplement plans.

• The Annual Election Period in the fall is for drug plans. It does not apply to Medicare supplements in any way.

• Many carriers offer household discounts if two or more people enroll in Medicare supplemental plans from the

• same company

• Plans do not include Part D, so you’ll add a separate standalone Part D drug plan

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Medicare Supplemental Plans Coverage

Medicare Supplement plans pay after Medicare approves and pays its share of your claim.

They are Medicare gap insurance, helping to cover the gaps in Medicare that normally you would have to pay. This includes things like deductibles, coinsurance and copays.

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You can use your Medicare Supplement plan at any provider in the nation that accepts Medicare. This makes Medicare Supplements great for travel or for people who live in more than one state throughout the year.

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Medicare Supplements plans do not include retail drug coverage, so you’ll want to purchase a standalone Part D drug plan for your medications. A Medicare Supplement does not cover routine, dental, vision or hearing services either. Since Medicare itself does not cover these items, your supplement cannot pay anything toward them either.