About 44 million people, approximately 15% of the US population, are enrolled in Medicare plans. If you’re looking into enrolling yourself, you most likely have come across the different kinds of plans that Medicare offers.
Yet, making a final choice on a good health insurance plan can be challenging, and you, no doubt, want to find a plan that will suit the needs of you and your family. How can you choose the right Medicare plan? Today, we bring you a brief guide on the different plans available as well as what you should consider when deciding what plan to go with.
Original Medicare
When people mention Original Medicare, they’re usually referring to Medicare Part A and Medicare Part B. Both are provided by the federal government and includes access to doctors, hospitals, and specific services.
However, the person enrolled in the Original Medicare plan has to be prepared to pay for each service. Medicare does have a limited amount that they pay, but costs usually are out-of-pocket. Also, most prescription drugs are not covered by Original Medicare.
Medicare Advantage
Unlike Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage covers a wider variety of things, such as dental care, vision and hearing prescription drugs, and medical and hospital services that aren’t possible through Original Medicare. A great benefit of Medicare Advantage is that there is a limit to how much out-of-the-pocket money you can spend on medical services. Once that limit is reached, Medicare Advantage fully covers all expenses.
Also, Medicare Advantage can cover any medical emergencies that over out of the country. Even if it is an emergency, Original Medicare doesn’t usually cover any accidents that happen when traveling abroad.
Medigap
Medigap can fill in what both Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage doesn’t cover. Even though Medigap does not cover most prescription drugs, it offers more plans that will cover additional doctors, specialists, and hospital care costs. However, you cannot enroll in Medigap if you already have Medicare Advantage, and you can only enroll if you have either Medicare Part A or Part B.
Medicare Plans-Which to Choose
It all comes down to your age, your financial situation, and your needs. People who only visit the doctor annually, who don’t travel often, and have overall good health, might consider Original Medicare as an option. Yet, if in your case, you have a particular medical condition that will require you to make frequent visits to the doctors and specialists, then Medicare Advantage or Medigap might be more suitable.
There are more plans available within the Medicare program that you can get, along with Medigap or Original Medicare, as supplements. To understand the difference, speaking to a Medicare provider might be able to be more of a help. Analyze yourself by asking the following questions to help you narrow down your choices once you’ve collected all the information you need on medicare plans.
- What are your health care needs?
- How often do you need to visit the doctor?
- What kind of doctors or specialists do you need to visit?
- What’s your financial situation?
- Do you travel abroad to the US frequently?
- Do you need dental and vision health care?
Your answers to these questions will help you evaluate your situation thoroughly. You’ll figure out your needs and be able to make a wise choice.
Choose Wisely
Remember not to rush into anything or keep your mind fixed on one option just because you find one or a few Medicare plans you like. You need to be fully informed of everything available to you before making a choice.
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