Medigap Plans: Listing by Coverage
There are 12 standard Medicare supplemental (Medigap) insurance plans that help pay some of your costs in the Original Medicare Plan and for some care it doesn't cover. All Medigap plans must cover certain basic benefits.
Each standard plan, labeled A through L, offers a different set of benefits, fills different "gaps" in Medicare coverage, and varies in price. Medigap plans K and L are new plans that became available in 2006. The basic benefits for Medigap plans K and L are similar to the basic benefits offered in plans A through J, but these plans have lower monthly premiums and have higher out-of-pocket costs.
Insurance companies may offer a "high-deductible option" on Medigap Plans F and J. If you choose this option, you will first have to pay a $1,900 deductible in 2008 before the plans pay anything. This amount can go up every year. Premiums for high-deductible option policies often cost less, but if you get sick, your total costs will be higher.
FYI: In addition to the A-L standard Medigap policies, Medicare SELECT is a type of Medigap policy that can cost less than standard Medigap plans. However, you can only go to certain doctors and hospitals for your care. Check with your state insurance department to find out if Medicare SELECT policies are available in your state.
If you are in Medicare Advantage Plan, such as a Medicare Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), you don't need a Medigap policy.
Important: If you live in Massachusetts, Minnesota or Wisconsin, you have different standard Medigap plans to buy.
Basic Benefits
Covered by Plans A-J:
Medicare Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days after
Medicare benefits end
Medicare Part B coinsurance (generally 20 percent of Medicare-approved
expenses), or copayments for hospital outpatient services
First three pints of blood each year
Covered by Plan K:
Medicare Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days after
Medicare benefits end
50% of hospice cost-sharing
50% for the first three pints of blood each year
50% Medicare Part B coinsurance, except 100% coinsurance for Part B preventive
services
Covered by Plan L:
Medicare Part A coinsurance plus coverage for 365 additional days after
Medicare benefits end
75% of hospice cost-sharing
75% for the first three pints of blood each year
75% Medicare Part B coinsurance, except 100% coinsurance for Part B preventive
services
Medicare Part A Hospital Deductible
Covered by Plans B-J:
$1,024 in 2008 for each benefit period for hospital services
Covered by Plan K:
50% of the $1,024 Part A hospital deductible
Covered by Plan L:
75% of the $1,024 Part A hospital deductible
Skilled Nursing Home Costs
Covered by Plans C-J:
Your cost ($128 in 2008) for days 21-100 in a skilled nursing home
Covered by Plan K:
50% of $128 for days 21-100 in a skilled nursing home
Covered by Plan L:
75% of $128 for days 21-100 in a skilled nursing home
Medicare Part B Deductible
Covered by Plans C, F, J:
Yearly deductible for doctor services ($135 in 2008)
Medicare Part B Excess Charges
Covered by Plans F (100%), G (80%), I (100%), J (%100):
The difference between your doctor's charge and the Medicare approved
amount, if your doctor does not accept assignment
Foreign Travel Emergency
Covered by Plans C-J:
80% of the cost of emergency care outside the U.S.
Up to $50,000 in your lifetimeMbr>
You pay a yearly deductible of $250
At-Home Recovery
Covered by Plans D, G, I, J:
Help for activities of daily living, such as bathing and dressing, if you are
already receiving skilled home care covered by Medicare
Help for up to eight weeks after you no longer need skilled care
Will pay up to $40 per visit, seven visits per week, or a total of $1,600 per
year
Non-Medicare-Covered Preventive Services
Covered by Plans E, J:
Up to $120 per year for non-Medicare-covered preventive services ordered by
your doctor
Prescription Drugs
New Medigap policies no longer offer prescription drug coverage. If you purchased a Medigap policy that covers prescription drugs before January 1, 2006, you can keep that coverage if you didn't enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan.
To learn more about Medigap plans in your area, see the Medicare Options Compare tool below. You can also get additional information about Medigap plans in your state by checking with your state insurance department or the Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare: Choosing a Medigap Policy (see below).
AARP Resources
AARP on Medicare
A series of articles from AARP to help you better understand your Medicare
options.
Medicare Prescription Drug
Coverage
This series of articles will help you sort through your drug coverage
choices.
State-by-State,
Plan-by-Plan List of Pharmacy Assistance Programs
Prescription discount programs offered by states, drug makers, discount cards
and discount pharmacies.
Additional Resources
Guide to Health
Insurance for People with Medicare: Choosing a Medigap Policy
Information about Medigap plans, what they cover and how to choose the best
policy.
Medicare Options Compare
Information on the insurance companies that sell Medigap policies in your area
and the range of premiums they charge.
Medicare Savings Programs
Information on state programs for people with limited income and resources that
pay some or all of the costs of Medicare.
State Health Insurance
Assistance Program (SHIP)
How to contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), an
important Medicare partner. Free one-on-one health insurance counseling for
people with Medicare.
National Association of Insurance
Commissioners (NAIC)
Link to your state insurance department Web site which often lists names and
phone numbers of the companies selling Medigap plans in your state.
