Medicare Supplment Basics

Medicare Supplement policies are designed to cover the same services that medicare covers but does not pay for due to medicare deductibles, copay, coinsurance, etc.

Standard Medicare Supplement Benefits

Medicare Supplement insurance can be sold in only ten standard plans. The chart below shows the benefits included in each plan.  (For more details read Federal Brochure for Choosing a Medigap Policy or click here for a copy of the  2012 Medicare & You.)

Basic Benefits are included in all plans. They include:

• Hospitalization, Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days during your lifetime after Medicare benefits end.
• Medical Expenses, Part B coinsurance generally (20% of Medicare approved expenses).
• Blood, first three pints of blood each year.
• Hospice Care, Covers Part A Coinsurance year.

Read more: Medicare Supplment Basics

Medicare Supplement Rights & Protections

Guaranteed issue rights [?] (sometimes called "Medigap protections") are rights you have in certain situations when insurance companies are required by law to sell or offer you a Medigap policy even if you have health problems (called "pre-existing conditions.").

In these situations, an insurance company:

• Must sell you a Medigap policy,
• Must cover all your pre-existing conditions [?] and
• Can't charge you more for a Medigap policy because of past or present health problems.

Read more: Medicare Supplement Rights & Protections