Medicare Supplements:

Although the benefits are identical for all Medicare Supplemental Insurance Plans of the same type, the premiums may vary greatly from company to company and area to area.

In Oregon there are 25 companies that sell Medicare Supplement Plans. We represent many of them. Please visit our Oregon Health Insurance site for more detailed information.

Oregon Consumer Guide to Medigap & Medicare Advantage Plans Publications Page This site has a pamphlet comparing HMO, PPO and Traditional Plans. We carry the majority of these companies and their Products. The HMO and PPO plans are available in limited areas, while the Traditional plans are available statewide.

The U.S. Government Medicare site and Oregon SHIBA site have a page of publications for further information on Medicare and Insurance, and you can also check out our chart of basic types of medicare supplements.

Medicare Supplemental Insurance Options:

Medicare Advantage Plans are now available in many parts of Oregon!  These are the Medicare HMO, PPO & PFFSPlans which have co-payments for Doctors office visits and Hospitals. For information on this type of plan please call 800.884.2343 or send us an email for infomation or complete this contact form.

Medicare supplement coverage can be sold in only ten standard plans. We feel that the best care is received when you have your choice of Doctors, and you and your Doctor make your medical decisions. Medicare HMO plans (MCO) are also available. Medicare Supplements are available with no medical underwriting during your open enrollment period. This is the 6 months before and 6 months after your 65th birthday. The only other time for open enrollment is if you are disabled and put onto Medicare. Then the 6 months after going onto Medicare is an open enrollment period. You may however, apply to a company and fill out the medical underwriting questions after open enrollment. For information on this type of plan please call 800.884.2343 or send us an email for infomation or complete this contact form.

Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap) is specifically designed to supplement Medicare's benefits and is regulated by federal and state law, It must be clearly identified as Medicare supplemental insurance and it must provide specific benefits that help fill the gaps in your Medicare coverage. Other kinds of insurance may help you with out-of-pocket health care costs but they do not qualify as Medigap plans.

Standard Medigap Plans: To make it easier for you to compare Medigap insurance policies, all states (except Minnesota, Massachusetts and Wisconsin), U.S. territories and the District of Columbia limit the number of different Medigap policies that can be sold in any of those jurisdictions to no more than 10 standard Medigap plans. The plans were developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and incorporated into state and federal law. They have letter designations ranging from "A" through "J," with Plan A being the "basic" benefit package. Each of the other 9 plans includes the basic package plus a different combination of additional benefits. Plan J provides the most coverage of all the plans. The plans cover specific expenses either not covered or not fully covered by Medicare. Insurance companies are not permitted to change the combination of benefits or the letter designations of any of the plans. For information on this type of plan please call 800.884.2343 or send us an email for infomation or complete this contact form.

What is Medicare?

Medicare is a national health insurance program for people 65 years of age and older, certain younger disabled people and people with permanent kidney failure. Medicare is run by the Health Care Financing Administration. The Social Security Administration helps HCFA by enrolling people in Medicare and by collecting Medicare premiums.

Medicare is divided into two parts: Hospital Insurance (Part A) and Medical Insurance (Part B). Part A helps pay for care in a hospital, skilled nursing facility, some home health care, and hospice care. Part B helps pay for doctor bills, outpatient hospital care and other medical services not covered by Part A. Your Medicare card shows the Medicare coverage you have--Hospital Insurance (Part A), Medical Insurance (Part B), or both--and the date your coverage started.

Enrollment in Medicare is handled in two ways: either you are automatically enrolled or you must apply. If you are getting Social Security or Railroad Retirement Board benefits before you turn 65, you are automatically enrolled and your Medicare card will be mailed to you about three months before your 65th birthday. If you are not receiving retirement benefits, you must apply by contacting a Social Security Administration office or, if appropriate, the Railroad Retirement Board. You should apply three months before your 65th birthday to avoid a possible delay in the start of your coverage. If you have been a disabled beneficiary under Social Security or Railroad Retirement for 24 months, you will automatically get a Medicare card in the mail.