Medicare Supplement Plans
How do Medicare Supplement insurance plans work?
Original Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) pay for many, but not all, healthcare services and supplies. Medicare Supplement insurance plans help pay your share of some of the healthcare costs that Original Medicare doesn’t cover, like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles.
Other important things to know:
- Medicare Supplement insurance plans are not the same as Medicare Advantage plans.
- A Medigap policy only covers 1 person. If you and your spouse both want Medigap coverage, you must buy separate policies.
- Medigap policies do not include prescription drug coverage. If you want prescription drug coverage, you can join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (Part D).
- You pay a monthly premium when you have a Medicare Supplement plan in addition to the Part B premium from Original Medicare.
- A Medicare Supplement policy is guaranteed renewable even if you have health problems. This means your private insurance company can’t cancel your policy if you pay the premium and provide accurate information on your application.
- Medigap policies generally don’t cover long-term care, vision or dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses or private-duty nursing.
What does Medicare Supplement insurance cover?
Medicare Supplement insurance plans help pay for costs not covered by Original Medicare. Each plan provides a range of benefits so you can choose the best Medigap plan for your needs.
Basic benefits:
- Part A coinsurance and hospital costs up to an additional 365 extra days after Medicare benefits are used
- Part B coinsurance or copayment
- Blood (first 3 pints)
- Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
Additional benefits that may be included in certain plans:
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance
- Part A deductible
- Part B deductible
- Part B excess charge
- Foreign travel exchange (up to plan limits)
- Out-of-pocket limit
What does Medicare Supplement insurance not cover?
Medicare Supplement plans generally don’t cover:
- Long-term care (like non-skilled care you get in a nursing home)
- Vision or dental services
- Hearing aids
- Eyeglasses
- Private‑duty nursing
- Prescription drug coverage
If you’re looking for prescription drug coverage, Medicare Part D could be the answer. There are 2 ways to get Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage: a stand-alone plan, which works with Parts A and B, or a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan (MAPD).
To get coverage for other products and services, a Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage) plan may be a good option. Like Medicare Supplement plans, most Medicare Advantage plans offer various benefits so you can shop your options and pick the right plan for your needs.
Who is eligible for a Medicare Supplement plan?
To buy a Medicare Supplement plan, you must be:
- 65 years old or older
- Enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B
- Live in the state where the policy you want is offered
Note: In some states, you can be under age 65 with a disability or end-stage renal disease (ESRD).
When can I enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan?
You can apply for a Medicare Supplement policy any time. However, the best time to buy a plan is during your 6-month Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment period.
Your Medicare Supplement Open Enrollment period starts the first month you’re both age 65 or older and have Part B. The big advantage is you can buy any Medicare Supplement plan sold in your state without answering health questions. Even if you have health problems, insurance companies cannot deny you a Medicare Supplement policy and must offer the same price as people with good health.
If you apply after your open enrollment period, there is no guarantee that an insurance company will sell you a policy unless you are eligible for a guaranteed issue right. If you’re under age 65 and have Medicare, you may not be able to buy a Medicare Supplement policy or the one you want until you turn 65.
How much does Medicare Supplement insurance cost?
Each insurance company can set their own price, or premium, for its Medicare Supplement plans. There can be differences in the premiums that different insurance companies charge for exactly the same coverage.
What are the different types of Medicare Supplement plans?
Here are 10 standardized Medicare Supplement plans and what they cover after Original Medicare pays its share:1 = the plan covers 100% of this benefit
X = the plan doesn’t cover that benefit
% = the plan covers that percentage of this benefit
N/A = not applicable
What are the different types of Medicare Supplement plans?
* Plans F and G also offer a high-deductible plan in some states. With this option, you must pay for Medicare-covered costs (coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles) up to the deductible amount of $2,700 in 2023 before your policy pays anything. (Plans C and F aren’t available to people who were newly eligible for Medicare on or after January 1, 2020.)
** For Plans K and L, after you meet your out-of-pocket yearly limit and your yearly Part B deductible, the Medigap plan pays 100% of covered services for the rest of the calendar year.
*** Plan N pays 100% of the Part B coinsurance, except for a copayment of up to $20 for some office visits and up to a $50 copayment for emergency room visits that don’t result in inpatient admission.
Why choose Medigap?
If you have 1 or more chronic medical conditions, a Medicare Supplement plan can help keep your costs manageable. Coverage is nationwide, so you’re covered anywhere that Original Medicare is accepted. Medicare Supplement plans are also “guaranteed renewable,” meaning your Medigap policy can’t be cancelled if you pay your premium.
Everyone has unique healthcare needs. If you’re thinking about adding extra insurance to Original Medicare, check out how to pick the best Medicare Supplement insurance plan for you.
What is Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance?
Humana’s Medicare Supplement Insurance, also known as Medigap, helps pay for healthcare costs that aren’t covered under Medicare Parts A and B. To qualify, you must be at least 65 years of age, be enrolled in Medicare Part B and live in a state where Humana offers the coverage you want. You can easily find what coverage is available in your area by doing a ZIP code search on the Humana website.
Humana offers three types of plans for seniors in need of coverage.
- Humana’s Medicare Supplement Insurance: Medicare supplemental insurance exists to cover healthcare costs not paid for under Medicare Parts A and B. This can include items like deductibles, coinsurance and hospice care.
- Medicare Advantage plans: Humana designed its Medicare Advantage plans as an alternative to government-offered Medicare. These plans cover what’s included in Medicare Parts A and B but also provide additional coverage, such as prescriptions, dental and vision.
- Humana’s Medicare Part D prescription drug plans (PDP): PDPs help cover the cost of prescription drugs, which can be astronomical for seniors on Medicare and a financial strain for those on limited incomes, such as Social Security. A PDP plan can be purchased as a stand-alone plan to help supplement your Medicare or any supplemental plan without prescription drug coverage.
Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance plans
Humana’s supplemental insurance is available under Plans A, B, C, F, G, K, L and N. A high-deductible Plan F is also available. Supplemental insurance coverage may help lower the cost of coinsurance and deductibles and cover special care or tests, including blood draws and skilled nursing facilities. Some plans even provide emergency travel insurance.
Generally, Medicare Supplement Insurance does not cover items like vision, dental care, hearing care, private nursing, long-term care or prescription drugs. Your specific coverage varies by the plan you select. Explore the plans below to better understand what each offers.Plan APlan BPlan CPlan F
- Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits: Included
- Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment: Included
- Blood (first three pints): Included
- Hospice care coinsurance or copayment: Included
- Skilled nursing facility care coinsurance: Included
- Medicare Part A deductible: Included
- Medicare Part B deductible: Included
- Medicare Part B excess charges: Included
- Foreign travel emergency: Included
How much does Humana Medicare Supplement cost?
The cost of Humana Medicare Supplement Insurance depends on which plan you select. Review the chart below for the average monthly cost by plan type in different parts of the country.
Is Humana a good Medicare supplement?
Humana is a health insurance giant offering a variety of Medicare insurance products and plans that can save seniors money. That said, Humana received mixed customer satisfaction ratings for various plans sold nationwide on the National Committee for Quality Assurance’s (NCQA) latest Health Plan Ratings report. A Humana plan may not be right for those looking for an exceptional experience with their Medicare Advantage or Supplement plans.
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