Choosing A Medigap Policy – Official Government Guide

Start here if you are thinking of buying a Medigap policy

Most people think that the only useful Medicare-related publication available from The Centers For Medicare & Medicaid Services is the Medicare & You Handbook. But there is another guide that that’s essential for people thinking about buying a Medigap Policy.

Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare, is published each year, but unlike the Medicare & You Handbook, it is not mailed to everyone with Medicare.

Whereas the Medicare & You Handbook addresses several aspects of the Medicare program, including Medicare Advantage and Part D, Choosing a Medigap Policy only addresses Medicare supplements.

Medigap is another term for a Medicare supplemental policy. Medicare supplement insurance is private health insurance that is designed to supplement original Medicare. A Medicare supplement doesn’t add extra coverage, but rather helps pay some of the deductibles, copays and coinsurance that are required by Medicare.

Everything you need to know before you buy a Medicare supplement

The publication contains nine sections that will logically layout everything you need to know either before you buy of if you already have a supplement and have questions or need to make changes.

Section One covers the basics of Medicare. Since a supplement helps pay some of your share of Medicare costs, it’s important to have an understanding of how Medicare works.

Section Two is by far the largest as it covers Medigap basics. The discussion starts with a definition of Medigap and continues with what it covers and doesn’t cover. Information is also included on when you should buy a policy and how insurance companies set prices.

Sections Three and four discuss your right to buy a Medigap policy and how to buy a policy.

Section Five is important for people who already have a policy and would like to switch or are losing coverage.

Section Six is specifically for people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Section Seven discusses Medigap coverage for residents of Massachusetts, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Although plans are standardized, these three States have their own versions of Medigap.

Section Eight instructs you on how to get more information and Section Nine includes a list of relevant definitions.

The guide is in PDF format and can be down loaded and save to your computer for easy reference. Click the following link for this valuable resource:

Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to Health Insurance for People with Medicare