subject: How Does Medicare Supplemental Insurance Help Seniors? [print this page] Medicare supplemental insurance, also known as Medigap Insurance is an insurance policy that addresses the seniors' requirements of medical and health care. While the Medicare program began as a Government-led initative in the mid 1960s, the Medicare supplemental insurance program is sold only by private insurance companies while the policies of the insurance program are regulated by the United States government. Seniors who are enrolled in the Medicare program by default are eligible for the Medigap insurance program as well.
On January 1st, 2006 a total of twelve different kinds of Medicare supplemental insurance were formulated for all seniors who were above sixty five years of age. They came to be known as the A to L Medigap plans and started alphabetically from A and ended with the alphabet L. These plans differ in two ways. First, the total cost of the insurance paid to the insurance companies for each plan varies according to the category it belongs to. Second, the kind of insurance companies associated with each plan also vary. Apart from this, the twelve policies may or may not be available in each and every state of the United States. While some states may choose to implement health care plans that are similar to the Medigap plans, all the plans must provide the same benefits that are provided by health plans at the national level. The insurance costs depend on three major factors. These are the attained age, the age at which the insurance plan is issued and the geographical area the insured person is located in. By law, each geographical location is treated as a single community and regardless of age, everyone has to pay the insurance company the same premium. Premium costs associated with the insurance policy usually increase with market inflation. So, a senior must choose a policy that suits them only after a great deal of careful consideration.
Medicare supplemental insurance covers all the costs that aren't covered by the Medicare plan. However, costs associated with extended stays at the nursing home, dental, hearing and vision problems, eyeglasses, private nurses, etc are not covered by the Medigap social insurance plan. To enjoy these benefits, seniors need to sign up for the Long term insurance care (LTC) plan that pays for their health care at home, respite and hospice care, assisted living and rehabilitation training. This long term policy offers seniors daily benefits to meet their expenses.
by: Carina Smith
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
