www.healthplansinwashington.com
Phone: 360-787-1048
Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement are insurance plans that you can use to help cover additional healthcare costs but which plan better fits your needs and budget?
Choice 1: Medicare Advantage, is also known as Medicare Part C. It's offered as an alternative or replacement to Original Medicare. You need to be enrolled on both Part A and Part B to qualify for this plan. This type of Medicare plan offer benefits included under Medicare Part A and Part B plus additional benefits such as dental, vision and hearing Some plans even cover for things like Fitness benefits & Prescription Drugs all in one simple and convenient plan.
Medicare advantage plan may require you to pay predictable deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance but usually starts at a low to no premium per month. Most common plan types are PPO and HMO. If you can choose an HMO plan, make sure to stay in-network doctors/providers and referrals are required.
Choice 2: Medicare Supplement, also known as Medigap helps cover deductibles, co-pays and coinsurance that Original Medicare doesn't pay for. Plan F is the most popular and expensive plan because it covers most of the deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance that Original Medicare won't cover.
However, Medicare Supplement does not include benefits like
dental, vison and hearing. Prescription Drugs is not included as well, so Plan D or similar coverage must be purchased separately. This plan usually has a higher premium but lets you choose
any doctor/provider that accepts original Medicare.
So how do you know which one is right for you?
Medicare Advantage is right for you if you like lower monthly premium in exchange for reasonable deductibles, co-insurance and copays, prefer to have all the benefits in a single plan and are willing to use in-network providers.
Medicare Supplement maybe right for you if you want the peace of mind of not worrying about unexpected high medical bills in case of illness or accident but it costs much higher monthly premium. You also need to enroll on a drug plan to cover your prescriptions.
