Medicare Supplement Plans

Insurance policies sold by private insurance companies that are licensed to sell Medicare plans, Medicare supplement plans help you pay for out-of-pocket costs for services covered under Medicare Part A and Part B. These costs include coinsurance, deductibles, copayments, skilled nursing facility expenses, and hospital costs after Medicare pays its share, among others.

What Are the Medicare Supplement Plans?

As designated by Medicare, each supplement plan is labeled with a letter from A through N and offers different benefits. Medicare, however, requires that all plans provide standardized coverage. When you look at the list below, you’ll notice that some benefits are included in every plan while other benefits only appear in a few supplement plans.

• Plan A: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment
• Plan B: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% Medicare Part A deductible
• Plan C: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 100% Medicare Part A deductible; 100% Medicare Part B deductible; 80% foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
• Plan D: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 100% Medicare Part A deductible; 80% foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
• Plan F: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 100% Medicare Part A deductible; 100% Medicare Part B deductible; 100% Medicare Part B excess charges; 80% foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
• Plan G: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 100% Medicare Part A deductible; 100% Medicare Part B excess charges; 80% foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
• Plan K: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 50% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 50% first 3 pints of blood; 50% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 50% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 50% Medicare Part A deductible
• Plan L: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 75% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 75% first 3 pints of blood; 75% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 75% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 75% Medicare Part A deductible
• Plan M: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 50% Medicare Part A deductible; 80% foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)
• Plan N: 100% Medicare Part A coinsurance and hospital costs; 100% Medicare Part B coinsurance or copayment; 100% first 3 pints of blood; 100% Medicare Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment; 100% skilled nursing facility care coinsurance; 100% Medicare Part A deductible; 80% foreign travel emergency (up to plan limits)

Which Medicare Plan Offers the Most Coverage?

You can get the most healthcare coverage with Medicare Supplemental Plan F as it will pay for all of your cost-sharing for services that are covered. This means that you won’t have any out-of-pocket expenses.

Offering the next-best healthcare coverage, Medicare Supplemental Plan G covers all services that covered by Plan F except for the Medicare Part B deductible. This means that you’ll have to pay the Medicare Part B deductible once per year while paying a lower Medigap premium so you may be able to save money long-term.

Can I Get Medicare Supplement Plan Coverage When I Travel?

Yes, you’ll be covered by Medicare supplement plans when traveling in the U.S. Also, depending on the specific Medicare supplement insurance plan you choose, you may be able to get medical service coverage for travel outside the U.S.

Which Insurance Companies Offer Medicare Supplement Plans?

Many private insurance companies offer Medicare supplement plans; some are well-known brand names while others are less-known brands. Read more about Medicare supplement plan insurance companies.

When Am I Supposed to Enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan?

You’ll first need to enroll in Medicare Part B, after which you’ll have an open-enrollment period of 6 months to select and enroll in a Medicare supplement plan without having to answer any questions about your health. During this one-time period you won’t be charged additional premiums for health reasons and can’t be asked any health-related questions or be turned down for any medical conditions.

ALERT: After the open-enrollment period is over, insurance companies can refuse you based on health so make sure you note the open-enrollment deadline on your calendar.

How Do I Choose the Right Medicare Supplement Plan for Me?

It depends on your needs and preferences. Which do you prefer: a plan that covers (mostly) everything so you won’t have to pay out-of-pocket or a plan that covers some deductibles and copayments along with low premiums? Determining your needs and preferences is the first step in figuring out which Medicare supplement plan is right for you.

Need Help?

If you’d like to save time and money, please contact us at California Medicare Help, and we’ll recommend which Medicare supplement plan best fits your specific situation.

Click on Get a Quote above and receive:
1. Medicare quotes for every major Medicare insurance plan in your zip code
2. Medicare Advantage and Supplement plan outlines
3. Your net prescription drug costs
4. Plus search for all plans your physicians accept
Self-enroll or text 1-707-478-0210 for fast help