MedicareBob

The Medicare Supplement Plan G does not have any co-pays. How the Medicare Supplement Plan G works is Medicare is your primary insurance and Plan G picks up the Medicare approved amount for Medicare approved services. The Plan G pays the remaining balance. The only out of pocket cost you have with the Medicare Supplement Plan G is Medicare’s Part B annual deductible which is currently $183.00. There is some confusion with some people that have the Medicare Supplement Plan G and they may have had an agent tell them that they will have a co-pay. This is incorrect. A deductible is the amount of money that you have to pay before the insurance company steps in and pays what they’re supposed to pay. A deductible is not something you pay at the time of your service. A co-pay is a pre-negotiated price that you agree to pay with the insurance company that you have.

This Wednesday Rate Watch is focused Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 and 70 in Colorado Springs, Colorado (zip code 80829). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that.

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier.

Medicare Part B covers medically necessary clinical diagnostic laboratory tests, when your doctor or practitioner orders them. These tests are done to help your doctor diagnose or rule out a suspected illness or condition. Medicare also covers some preventive services to help prevent, find, or manage a medical problem.

Part B covers diagnostic non-laboratory tests when these apply:

• Your doctor or other health care provider orders them.

• They're ordered as part of treating a medical problem.

Examples of diagnostic non-laboratory tests include CT scans, MRIs, EKGs, X-rays, and PET scans. These tests are done to help your doctor diagnose or rule out a suspected illness or condition.

The Medicare Supplement Plan G will cover any service that Medicare covers. Medicare Supplement Plan G covers everything but Medicare Part B’s annual deductible of $183.00, so if you have not met your deductible for the year, you would pay the full or remaining amount of that deductible.

This Wednesday Rate Watch is focused Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 and 70 in Houston, Tx (zip code 77001). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that.

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier.

The Medicare Supplement Plan J was, at one time, the Cadillac of the Medicare Supplement plans. It was the most comprehensive Medicare Supplement a person could purchase on Medicare. Plan J filled all the gaps in Medicare, much like the Plan F does now.

As of June 1st, 2010, Original Medicare covered two additional benefits. They covered at home health recovery and preventative healthcare. At home recovery and preventative healthcare are now being covered by Original Medicare parts A and B. The only two benefits that Plan J paid for that the Plan F did not were those two benefits, so now that Medicare covered those benefits it made the Plan J exactly like the Plan F, so Medicare discontinued the plan.

If you have the Plan J, you were grandfathered into the plan. Medicare did not take away your coverage. But with the discontinuation of the plan, and the pool of people getting smaller over the last 8 years, we have seen significant increases in the Plan J’s premiums.

An appeal is the action you can take if you disagree with a coverage or payment decision by Medicare or your Medicare plan. For example, you can appeal if Medicare or your plan denies:

• A request for a health care service, supply, item, or prescription drug that you think you should able to get.

• A request for payment of a health care service, supply, item or prescription drug you already got.

• A request to change the amount you must pay for a health care service, supply, item or prescription drug.

You can also appeal if Medicare or your plan stops providing or paying for all or part of a health care service, supply, item, or prescription drug you think you still need.

If you decide to file an appeal, you can ask your doctor, supplier. Or other health care provider for any information that may help your case. Keep a copy of everything you send to Medicare or your plan as part of your appeal.

This Wednesday Rate Watch is focused Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 thru 75 in Las Vegas, Nevada (zip code 88901). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that.

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier.

For a period of time, Medicare Supplement carriers and Advantage Plans were including Silver Sneakers as part of their list of benefits as an incentive to choose their plan over another carrier’s. However, most carriers are no longer offering Silver Sneakers with their plans. United Healthcare was the last carrier offering it and they have even started phasing it out in some areas. The reason for this is because even though people were asking about the plan, most people weren’t using it. The carriers are not going to continue paying for something that people aren’t using. In all reality, that is reflected in the monthly premiums that the Medicare Supplement policy holders are paying so essentially, everyone is paying for something that a majority are not using.

Medicare will not cover you if you leave the country however, the Medicare Supplement Plan G will cover you if you leave the country. The Medicare Supplement Plan G comes with what is called a foreign travel benefit. It will cover foreign travel emergency care if it begins during the first 60 days of your trip, and if Medicare doesn't otherwise cover the care. They pay 80% of the billed charges for certain medically necessary emergency care outside the U.S. after you meet a $250 deductible for the year and has a lifetime limit of $50,000.

This Wednesday Rate Watch is focused Medicare Supplement Plan G, for a male and female, ages 65 thru 75 in Round Rock, Texas (zip code 78664). As I have said before, Medicare Supplement plans are all Federally regulated by the government. There is no reason for anyone to pay more for their Medicare Supplement Plan G with one carrier over another because the letter of the plan dictates the coverage, not the carrier. You are not getting any additional benefits by paying more. That’s why it is important to shop your Medicare Supplement coverage every year, and we can help you with that.

You may ask, “Why do these companies charge different prices if they are all the same?” That’s a great question. Carriers have different administrative costs and they have different profit goals. There’s tons of different reasons why these big companies charge different prices. What you need to know is, just like in your Medicare book, Medicare Supplement Plan G is the same with every carrier.