Medicare Insurance Plan Information Center
Welcome to the Medicare Insurance plan section of our website!
In this section of our website you will find information about Medicare
Supplemental and Medicare Advantage health plans. Just click on the
link for the information you need.
Medicare was never designed to pay all of your hospital and medical
expenses. At American Senior Insurance Services, our primary focus
is to help
you select the Medicare insurance plan that best suited for your
personal situation.
To receive a Medicare Supplement Insurance Quote, complete our simple
quote request form or call us toll free in Washington at 1-800-562-1399.
Medicare
Information Links
Frequently Asked Questions
You may need to supplement your Medicare
Health Insurance for one or more of the following reasons:
· Medicare was never designed to pay all the health care costs of the
elderly.
· Medicare coverage has not kept pace with the rising costs of medical
care.
· Medicare cost-sharing provisions have risen steadily since 1965.
· Medicare coverage has many gaps.
· Medicare deductibles increase every year.
What are Medigap policies?
Medicare supplemental insurance policies sold by private insurance companies
to fill "gaps" in Original Medicare Plan coverage. Except in Massachusetts,
Minnesota, and Wisconsin, beneficiaries may choose from 12 standardized policies
labeled Plan A through Plan L. Medigap policies work only with the Original
Medicare Plan.
What are Medicare Advantage Plans?
Medicare Advantage Plans are health plan options that are part of the Medicare program. If you join one of these plans, you generally get all your Medicare-covered health care through that plan. This coverage can include prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage Plans include:
- Medicare Health Maintenance
Organization (HMOs)
- Preferred Provider
Organizations (PPO)
- Private Fee-for-Service
Plans Medicare
- Special Needs Plans
When you join a Medicare
Advantage Plan, you use the health insurance card that you get
from the plan for your health care. In most of these
plans, generally there are extra benefits and lower copayments
than in the Original Medicare Plan. However, you may have to
see doctors that belong to the plan or go to certain hospitals
to get services.
To join a Medicare Advantage
Plan, you must have Medicare Part A and Part B. You will have
to pay your monthly Medicare Part B premium to
Medicare. In addition, you might have to pay a monthly premium
to your Medicare Advantage Plan for the extra benefits that
they offer.
How do I get a quote for Medigap
(Medicare Supplement Coverage)?
Simply click here to
request your quote! One of our Medigap specialists will contact
you at your convenience, or for
faster service call us toll free in Washington at 1-800-562-1399.
When is Medicare’s
Initial Enrollment Period?
The Initial Enrollment Period begins 3 months before
the month a beneficiary turns 65 and ends 3 months
after the month the beneficiary turns 65. If beneficiaries
wait until they are 65 or sign up during the last 3 months of the Initial
Enrollment
Period, their Medicare Part B start date will be delayed.
What is the Medigap
open enrollment period?
The 6-month period that begins the first day of the
month in which a beneficiary is both age 65 or older
and enrolled in Medicare Part B. During this period
you right to purchase a Medicare supplement policy is guaranteed.
What is Medicare’s “General
Enrollment Period?”
If a beneficiary did not enroll in Part B when first eligible for Medicare,
he or she may sign up during the General Enrollment Period that runs from January
1 through March 31 of each year (January 1 through June 30 in 2002). The cost
of Part B may go up 10 percent for each 12-month period that the beneficiary
could have had, but did not have, Part B. The beneficiary may have to pay this
extra amount as long as he or she has Part B.
What
is the "Part B" Medicare monthly premium for 2010?
* The majority of beneficiaries will not see an increase in their Part B monthly
premium from the 2009 amount ($96.40) thanks to the “hold harmless” provision
of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. §1395r(f)). See the
discussion of the hold harmless provision that is included in the following
weekly alert:
Most Medicare beneficiaries
will continue to pay the same $96.40 Part B premium amount in
2010. Beneficiaries who currently have the Social
Security Administration
(SSA) withhold their Part B premium and have incomes of $85,000 or less (or
$170,000 or less for joint filers) will not have an increase in their Part
B premium for 2010.
For all others, the standard Medicare Part B monthly premium
will be $110.50 in 2010, which is a 15% increase over the
2009 premium. The Medicare Part B
premium is increasing in 2010 due to possible increases in Part B costs.
Some people will pay a higher premium based on their modified
adjusted gross income.
Will
Medicare cover my medical expenses outside of the U.S.?
Persons living or traveling outside the United States usually cannot benefit
from Medicare. This is because, generally speaking, the program provides protection
against the cost of hospital and medical expenses incurred in the United States.
There are rare emergency cases where Medicare can pay for care for those who
travel to Canada or Mexico. Also, Medicare can sometimes pay if a Canadian
or Mexican hospital is closer to your home than the nearest U.S. hospital that
can provide the care you need.
If you get emergency treatment in a Canadian or Mexican hospital or if you
live near one, ask someone who works at the hospital about Medicare coverage,
or have the hospital help you contact the Medicare Intermediary.
Health insurance protection may be very important to anyone temporarily abroad
who plans to return to the United States. If you plan to return to the United
States shortly after you are eligible for the medical insurance program, you
may wish to enroll during your first enrollment period. If you expect to be
abroad for a longer period of time, you may wish to enroll during a later general
enrollment period.
Which
type of Medigap plan is best for me?
This depends on your personal preferences, needs and requirements. Consideration
should be given to benefits, cost, your economic situation, and current health.
An American Senior Medigap specialist can answer your questions and provide
you with the information you need to make a wise healthcare choice.
Where can I get more information?
Click here to go to our
Medicare Rx information page. You can review questions
and answers regarding Medicare’s new prescription
drug plan, Medicare Part D, or Click here to go directly
to our Quote Request page.
Ameraquote is operated
by American Senior Insurance Service Inc. an insurance agency
licensed in the state of Washington. American Senior Insurance
Services Inc. is not associated with the Medicare program or
any other state or federal agencies. |
