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.
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 +Choice PPO Plan is now available in many parts of
Oregon! These are the Medicare HMO and PPO Plans
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.
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