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IMPORTANT:

2019 Medicare Part D Changes:

Starting January 1st, 2019:

For stand-alone Part D prescription drug plans, average basic premiums are dropping to a projected average premium of $32.50/month, down from $33.59/month.*

*It’s important to understand that the average basic premium is less than the average enhanced plan premium, so overall average Part D premiums are higher than the average basic premiums.

There’s also a significant increase in the number of Part D plans available in 2019, but Kaiser Family Foundation notes that is likely due to the fact that CMS eliminated the meaningful difference requirement for Part D plans, allowing a single insurer to offer more plans than they’ve had in the past.

The good news is that the Affordable Care Act has been gradually closing the donut hole in Medicare Part D. In 2019, enrollees pay just 37 percent of the plan’s cost for generic drugs while in the donut hole. And the donut hole is closing one year early — in 2019, instead of 2020 — for brand-name drugs, which will cost the enrollee just 25 percent of the plan’s cost in 2019 (down from 100 percent before the ACA started to close the donut hole).

The maximum allowable deductible for standard Part D plans increased from $405 to $415.

Read More about 2019 Medicare Changes here.

Quick Guide to Medicare Part D – The Drug Plan

Medicare Part D is the newest addition to Medicare. Part D is the prescription drug plan. You must be enrolled in Medicare before you can apply for Part D coverage. Most people will pay a monthly premium for this coverage. Everyone with Medicare can get this coverage. It may help you lower prescription drug costs and help protect against higher costs in the future. Private companies provide the coverage. You choose the drug plan (there are many from which to choose) and pay a monthly premium. If you decide not to enroll in a drug plan when you are first eligible, you may have to pay a penalty if you join later.

Still have questions, or need more information on how to pick the plan that is right for you?

The Benefit Link is here to help! Give us a call and speak to a licensed insurance agent:

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Medicare Supplement Plan A

Medicare Supplement Plan A is also referred to as Medigap Plan A. This plan is sometimes overlooked because it has fewer benefits than other Medigap insurance plans.

What does Medicare Plan A cover though? It still covers the most important benefit, which is the 20% of outpatient medical care that Medicare doesn’t cover.

Make no mistake. Medicare Plan A pays this, so it is still a very good plan.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	❌
Medicare Part A deductible	❌
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	❌

Medicare Supplement Plan B

Medicare Supplement Plan B, also called Medigap Plan B, offers the same benefits as Plan A. In addition, it will also pay your Part A hospital deductible for you. This is a significant benefit as the deductible in 2017 is $1,316, and tends to go up slightly each year. Having Medigap Plan B means that you will never have to worry about that deductible going up.

Your hospital deductible is a per-incident deductible, not an annual one, so this is an important benefit. Medicare Plan B will pay the deductible even if you incur it more than once in the same year.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	❌
Medicare Part A deductible	✔
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	❌

Medicare Supplement Plan C

Medicare Supplement Plan C is a policy which covers nearly all of the Medicare gaps that you would usually be required to pay. The only exception is the Part B excess charges.

Excess charges are surcharges that your doctor can charge above and beyond what Medicare will reimburse. They are limited to 15% beyond what Medicare pays. Many doctors do not charge excess charges, but occasionally they do. If this concerns you, the Medigap Plan F or G might be a better choice for you than Medicare Plan C. Those two plans cover excess charges, so you won’t have to worry about asking.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	✔
Medicare Part A deductible	✔
Medicare Part B deductible	✔
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	✔

Medicare Supplement Plan D

Medicare Supplement Plan D is one of the ten Medigap options you can purchase to supplement your Original Medicare benefits. (It is not to be confused with PART D, which is for prescription drugs. You can read about Part D drug policies here.)

A Medigap Plan D policy covers most of the gaps in Medicare for you, with the exception of the Part B deductible and also any excess charges. An excess charge is an additional amount you will pay if a provider charges more than the Medicare allowed amount. You will pay out of pocket for these two minor items if you purchase a Medicare Plan D. However, the policy does cover all of the most important things, like the 20% of outpatient services that you would otherwise owe.

It’s important to compare pricing between Medigap Plan D and Plans F or G, which have richer benefits. This will help you determine if the savings is worth the additional financial exposure to you. Some people would rather pay more for their supplement if they know that all the gaps will be covered. Others don’t mind a little cost-sharing to get lower premiums.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	✔
Medicare Part A deductible	✔
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	✔

Medicare Supplement Plan F

Medicare Supplement Plan F has also been the #1 seller with The Benefit Link for many years. According to a report from America’s Health Insurance professionals, about 57% of all Medigap policies in force were a premium Medicare Plan F policy. (In recent years, Plan G has been the second most popular Medicare supplement plan, and you can read more on that below.)

A Medigap plan, or Medicare Supplement, pays after Medicare to help cover your deductibles, copays, and coinsurance that you would otherwise be responsible for. Medigap plans do not replace your Medicare Part B. You must be enrolled in both Part A and Part B first, then you are eligible to enroll in Medicare supplement Plan F.

When you add a Medicare Supplement Plan F or G to your Original Medicare benefits, your coverage will be quite comprehensive. By definition, Medigap Plan F is the Medicare supplement with the most benefits.

Medicare – Plan F

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	✔
Medicare Part A deductible	✔
Medicare Part B deductible	✔
Medicare Part B excess charges	✔
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	✔

Medicare Supplement Plan G

Did you know that Medicare Supplement Plan G is the second most popular Medicare supplement (next to Plan F) with our Baby Boomer clients? Today we’re going to tell you why. Everyone has heard of Plan F, but what is Medicare Supplement Plan G? What does Plan G cover?

Medicare Plan G coverage is very similar to Plan F. It offers great value for beneficiaries who are willing to pay a small annual deductible. After that, Plan G provides full coverage for all of the gaps in Medicare. It pays for your hospital deductible, copays and coinsurance. It also covers the 20% that Part B does’t cover.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	✔
Medicare Part A deductible	✔
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	✔
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	✔

Medicare Supplement Plan K

Medicare Supplement Plan K offers you the same basic benefits as other supplements, but with lower premiums. For example, this plan will still cover preventive care services and give you an extra year in the hospital. However, you split the cost-sharing with the insurance carrier on certain items like the Part A deductible. You also agree to pay the Part B deductible and any excess charges.

Medicare Plan K also includes a cap on your spending called an out-of-pocket maximum. For instance, let’s say you have a year with a lot of medical treatments. If your out-of-pocket spending reaches the maximum limit, then your Medigap K policy will kick in to pay all of the rest for that year.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	50%
Blood (first three pints)	50%
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	50%
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	50%
Medicare Part A deductible	50%
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	❌

Medicare Supplement Plan L

Medicare Supplement Plan L policy also includes a cap on your expenses. This is referred to as your out-of-pocket limit or maximum. Medicare sets this limit annually, and in 2018, the limit for Plan L is $2,620. This means that if in any one calendar year your spending reaches $2,480 in Medicare-approved covered expenses, then the Medigap insurance carrier pays the rest. The cap makes it much easier to agree to share in 25% of the costs on the items listed because you know that even if a year of bad health occurs, you won’t have more exposure than the maximum cap figure.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	75%
Blood (first three pints)	75%
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	75%
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	75%
Medicare Part A deductible	75%
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	❌

Medicare Supplement Plan M

Medicare Supplement Plan M is one of the new supplements created by the Medicare Modernization Act. It first hit the Medicare insurance market in the summer of 2010. (Sometimes we hear people call it Medicare Part M or Medigap Part M, but the correct term is Plan M.)

Medicare Plan M provides the same basic benefits as other supplements. However, it has a slightly reduced monthly premium in exchange for your willingness to pay half of your hospital deductible and all of your annual outpatient deductible. By sharing in these deductibles as well as excess charges, you get the benefit of reduced premiums.

Plan M could be a good fit for someone who doesn’t expect to visit the hospital often and feels he can afford the occasional cost-sharing. However, it’s important to have a licensed agent who specializes in Medicare supplements to help you. He or she will evaluate the differences in premiums and make sure that the savings are worth the risk of some expenses.

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	✔
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	✔
Medicare Part A deductible	50%
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	✔

Medicare Supplement Plan N

Medicare Supplement Plan N has been popular since it was first introduced in 2010. Also called Medigap Plan N, this option was created for consumers who like the idea of paying a lower premium in exchange for taking on a small annual deductible and some copays.

All Medicare supplement Plan N policies are the same, no matter which insurance company you choose. You can find Plan N available in many states from various well-know insurance companies.

In 2015, AHIP reported that Plan N enrollment grew by 33% between 2013 – 2014.

(You will find that sometimes people refer to Plan N as Part N, but the proper term is Plan N. Medicare itself has Parts, but when you are referring to supplemental insurance, use the word Plans.)

Medicare Part A coinsurance and coverage for hospital benefits	$20 copay for office visits; $50 copay for ER
Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment	✔
Blood (first three pints)	✔
Hospice Care coinsurance or copayment	✔
Skilled Nursing Facility Care coinsurance	✔
Medicare Part A deductible	✔
Medicare Part B deductible	❌
Medicare Part B excess charges	❌
Foreign Travel Emergency (up to plan limits)	✔