Medicare covers many of your health care needs.  Today's Medicare is working with private companies approved by Medicare that provide different ways to get your health care and prescription drug coverage in the Medicare Program.  The Medicare plan that you choose affects many things like cost, benefits, doctor choice, convenience, and quality.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Medicare Plan Choices

 

Original Medicare Plan

A fee-for-service plan that covers many health care services and certain drugs.  You can go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare.  When you get your health care, you use your red, white, and blue Medicare card.

 

The Original Medicare Plan pays for many health care services and supplies, but it doesn't pay all of your health care costs.  There are costs that you must pay, like coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.  These costs are called "gaps" in Medicare coverage. You might want to consider buying a Medigap policy to cover these gaps in Medicare coverage.  You can also add prescription drug coverage by joining a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan.

 

Medicare Supplement Plans

A private health insurance that's designed to supplement Original Medicare.  It helps pay some of the health care costs that Original Medicare doesn't cover like copayments, coinsurance and deductibles.

 

Medicare Advantage Plans

Available in many areas.  If you have one of these plans, you don't need a Medigap policy.  These plans include:

 

• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO)

• Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)

• Private Fee-for-Service Plans

• Medicare Special Needs Plans

• Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans (MSA)

 

These plans may cover more services and have lower out-of-pocket costs than the Original Medicare Plan.  Some plans cover prescription drugs.  In some plans, like HMOs, you may only be able to see certain doctors or go to certain hospitals to get covered services.

 

Medicare Prescription Drug Plans

These stand-alone plans add prescription drug coverage to the Original Medicare Plan, some Medicare Cost Plans, some Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans and Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans.

 

Some people may qualify for extra through Social Security to help pay for prescription medications.  This benefit is based on your monthly gross income.  We can help you apply for these benefits.

 

Help Paying for Health Care Costs

 

There are wide ranges of health care coverage choices that may help pay for some of your health care costs.  These health care choices work with the benefits you have from Medicare.  What you choose will affect how much you pay, what benefits you have, which doctors you can see, and other things that may be important to you.

 

Some people may qualify through their local Medicaid Office help that will pay the Medicare Part B (Medical) premium or ALL additional cost associated with Medicare such as deductibles and co-insurance.  This help is based on your Gross monthly income.  We can help you apply for these benefits.