Medicare Supplement Plan A
Medicare Supplement Plan A is an insurance plan that takes care of the 20% copay for outpatient medical care Medicare leaves you with.
It also covers the first three pints of blood if you were to need a transfusion.
Plan A may offer less benefits than other plans but it offers coverage for the basic things all Medicare beneficiaries need. And it is relatively inexpensive.
What is covered under Medicare Supplement Plan A?
Medigap Plan A covers 100% of the costs Medicare expects you to pay for:
- Medicare Part A coinsurance payments for inpatient hospital care for up to an additional 365 days after Medicare benefits are exhausted
- Medicare Part B copayment or coinsurance expenses
- The first three pints of blood used in a medical procedure
- Part A hospice care coinsurance expense or copayment
These are the most common needs among Medicare beneficiaries.
What is not covered by Plan A that other plans do offer?
Some other Medigap plans cover the deductibles of Medicare Parts A and B. If you turned 65 after January 1, 2020, no plan that covers the deductible for Plan B is available to you.
Skilled Nursing Facility coinsurance is another cost supplements foot the bill for.
Some even cover excess charges doctors are allowed to charge for services covered by Part B.
But Plan A covers the most important things and comes with a smaller premium.
When can I enroll?
You can enroll once you have Medicare Part B. You will then have six months to enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan with no health questions. This is a one-time open enrollment in which you cannot be turned down for any health conditions, you cannot be asked any medical questions, and you cannot be charged an additional premium for health reasons.
Technically, you can enroll at any time after you have Part B. However, if you sign up after your initial enrollment period, you will be subject to medical underwriting.
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