13 February What are the Advantages of choosing a Medigap policy over a Medicare Advantage policy? February 13, 2017 By Editor Medicare Supplement medicare, medicare supplement, medigap, seniors 0 If you are already enrolled in Medicare Part A and Part B you will have a choice between a Medicare Supplement (aka Medigap) plan or a Medicare Advantage plan. The following reasons are why we feel the Medicare Supplement plan is the better choice for you: Any healthcare provider that accepts Medicare will accept all Medigap plans. There are no networks, there are no HMOs, there are no PPOs and you will never need a referral to see a doctor or specialist Generally there are no co-pays when services are rendered Most Advantage plans have co-pays for every visit Medicare Supplement plans are standardized by the government. Which means you can compare prices form one company to another and always know that you are comparing the same coverage Policies are “Guaranteed Renewable”, which means that as long as you pay your premium, you cannot lose the coverage If you move to another city or state, you can take your Medigap policy with you You won’t have to worry about limited providers or doctors dropping out of your network If you buy a Medigap policy within 6 months of starting Part B at age 65 or older, you cannot be turned down for any reason You don’t have to choose a primary care provider so you don’t have a “gatekeeper” who has the final say on which provider you see So although Medigap plans usually come with a slightly higher premium than the Advantage plans, there are very few limitations to them and no “hidden” costs as far as co-pays and/or deductibles. So for all these reasons we feel your better alternative to supplement your government issued Medicare coverage is a Medigap policy. Please feel free to contact one of our Medicare Supplement specialists, at (800) 369-3600, who will be happy to discuss your individual circumstances and suggest a plan that is right for you. Visit ManhattanLife's Medicare Supplement for plan information. Related Posts How Much Can a Medigap Plan Save You When Medical Bills Stack Up? We Did the Math. A Medicare Supplement plan, also called a Medigap plan, is designed to cover the healthcare costs that Medicare won't. In order to show how important a Medigap plan can be in protecting you from out-of-pocket costs, we calculated how much money a Medigap plan would save you in the event of an unlikely, yet completely possible, serious medical issue. 17 Reasons Consumers Choose Medicare Supplement Over Medicare Advantage A list of the main reasons consumers choose a Medicare Supplement plan over a Medicare Advantage plan. Traveling Overseas and Medigap Plans Whether you are an avid traveler or looking forward to traveling overseas, and a Medicare beneficiary with Original Medicare, Part A and part B, you should take into consideration a supplemental coverage product. The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period - What Can You Do? The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (MADP) runs from January 1st through March 31st. Make sure you know your options. The 2018 Medicare Annual Election Period and How to Take Advantage of It The first period is The Annual Election Period (October 15th through December 7th). In this period eligible individuals may enroll or disenroll from a Medicare Advantage plan. The second period is The Medicare Advantage Disenrollment Period (January 1st through February 14th). In this period Medicare Advantage enrollees have the opportunity to disenroll from their plan and acquire a Medicare Supplement plan, if they so choose. What the 2020 Medicare Annual Election Period (MAEP) Means for You Also called Fall Open Enrollment, the Medicare Annual Election Period is one of two important periods for individuals eligible for Medicare. Comments are closed.