Medicare Supplement Plan G usually covers the entire expenses of the out-of-pocket Medicare costs including co-payments, and co-insurance.
Medicare Supplement plans, sometimes referred to as MedSupp and Medigap, also provide optional coverage that you can add to your Medicare Part A and Part B Plans. Since Medicare Supplement Plan G offers coverage for most of the costs incurred for healthcare, it usually has a higher premium than other Medicare Policies that offer lesser coverage. Here is a brief discussion about the coverage you can receive under Medicare Supplement Plan G.
Coverage of healthcare costs under Medicare Supplement Plan G for 2020
Medicare Supplement Plan G usually covers the entire cost of the following healthcare expenses:
- All costs related to the Medicare Part A for the hospital of up to 365 days after the Original Medicare benefits have exhausted
- Medicare Part A coinsurance
- Medicare Part A deductible
- Medicare Part A hospice care co-payment and co-insurance
- Medicare Part B co-payment and co-insurance coverage
- Medicare Part B co-insurance coverage for preventive care
- Medicare Part B excess charges such as:
- First 3 pints of blood for any medical procedure when the hospital had to buy blood
- Coinsurance coverage for Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) care
- Coverage for emergency healthcare during foreign travel, up to a certain limit mentioned in the plan.
Plan G is often compared with Plan F and Plan N
Medicare Plan G Compared Side By Side with Plan F and Plan N
Learn more about the coverage of Plan G
Coverage and benefits under Medicare Supplement Plan G are quite similar to Plan F. Plan G offers great benefits to the insured who is willing to pay a small amount of annual deductible after which it provides full coverage of healthcare costs including for the gaps in original Medicare’s Part A and B.
It also pays for the hospital deductible, co-insurance, and co-pays as well as the 20% expenses, which are not covered by Part B.
It covers in-patient hospital costs, skilled nursing care, blood transfusions, and hospice care. It also offers coverage for the outpatient medical services like doctor visits, diabetes supplies, lab work, durable medical equipment, ambulance, surgeries, and x-rays.
Plan G would also cover the co-insurance for Part B medications. These usually include the medications administered in a clinical setting or hospital such as chemotherapeutic drugs and injections for autoimmune disorders. However, Plan G does not offer coverage for the outpatient retail prescriptions for which you would need Part D drug plan.
Why Pick Medicare Supplement Plan G?
Besides Medicare Supplement Plan F, Plan G is the only Supplement plan, which covers the entire excess charges related to original Medicare Part B.
Additionally, the excess charges incurred by the doctor are also covered by plan F. In such cases, the physician can charge more than the amount approved by Medicare.
According to regulations, physicians and hospitals are not allowed to charge more than 15% above the amount covered by Medicare. In these cases, beneficiaries are responsible for the payment of the difference between the amount approved by Medicare and the actual charges of the provider.
Without coverage under any Medicare Supplement Plan, patients have to bear these excess charges out of pocket. This is where a more comprehensive Medicare Supplement Plan G offers added benefits. It covers the excess costs that patients have to pay above the amount approved by Medicare thus covering the entire costs of the treatment.
Medicare Supplement Plan G Benefits for International Travelers
Patients having Medicare Supplement Plan G would be eligible for the healthcare expenses incurred due to emergencies during foreign travel. It covers the emergency healthcare expenses outside of the United States. However, the coverage is offered only up to a certain limit mentioned in the plan.
Medicare Supplement Plan G Availability and Costs
Medicare Supplement insurance plans including Plan G are not endorsed by or connected with the U.S. government and the federal Medicare program.
Hence, although the benefits of Medicare Supplement Plan G are standardized and tend to be the same irrespective of the insurer from whom it is purchased, its costs and availability depend on the place where you live and how the insurer prices its premiums.
Since this plan is not offered directly by the states, insurers are allowed to charge different premiums for similar benefits. However, any pre-existing health issue would not be a determining factor for the amount of the premium.
Eligibility for Medicare Plan G
If you have signed up for Part B, you are eligible to apply for Medicare Supplement Plan G. If you sign up during the Medigap Open Enrollment Period, along with Part B, you would be guaranteed to be accepted.
Medigap Open Enrollment Period is a six-month period beginning in the first month you turn 65 years old.
Upcoming changes to Medicare Supplement Plan G
Medicare Supplement Plan G might feature a higher deductible option from 1st January 2020. According to the changes planned to be implemented in the next year, Plan F with a higher deductible that reimburses the Part B deductible would no longer be sold to the newly eligible beneficiaries from January 1, 2020. Hence, it would be replaced by Plan G’s high deductible option.
Most health insurers offering Medicare Supplement plans set their own premium rates though the plans are standardized. This means the benefits under Medicare Supplement Plan G offered by one insurer would be similar to that of the other insurer in spite of having different premiums.
Also, it should be noted that some insurance companies may offer a few additional benefits. Hence, it is advisable to check the coverage and benefits offered by different insurance providers before you choose the best Medicare Supplement Plan G suitable for you.
BGA Insurance Group can assist with Medicare Plan G in the following states:
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Delaware
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Florida
- Arizona
- Maryland
- Texas
Plans we can compare:
- Mutual of Omaha
- Humana
- Aetna
- Cigna
- Independence Blue Cross (BCBS)