Medigap Benefits - What Are the Core Benefits Available in Most Policies?

For senior citizens that are in need of health care• Skilled Nursing Facility Coinsurance (excludes A
services, including assisted living care, there are certainand B)
options available for them to offset the gaps in• Deductible Medicare Part A (excludes A)
coverage from Medicare. One such option is Medigap• Coinsurance Medicare Part B Preventative care
which can pay for services that Medicare isn'tThose in Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin
covering, which otherwise could leave seniors owingare offered various other benefits including:
medical bills they cannot afford or could even stand in• Inpatient Mental Health Hospital up to 60 days per
the way of these seniors receiving the health careyear
they desperately need.• State mandated benefits including pap tests and
There are several Medigap plans, with differentmammograms
benefits for each plan. There are, however, certain• Foreign travel emergency
core Medigap benefits that are available in most of the• Outpatient mental health
policies allowing those of each policy to takeUnderstanding the various elements of each plan
advantage of the same main benefits. These benefitsavailable involves speaking with the insurance provider
are available to cover those costs that Medicarethat offers these plans. Each insurance company is
doesn't cost including copayment and co-coverage.mandated by state regulation as to the benefits that
The Medigap plans range A-N and all must provideare offered with each state, yet the prices may differ.
these same basic benefits no matter what plan isFinding the best plan for you will mean finding the
chosen or the insurance company purchased from.insurance provider that can offer an affordable plan
The Medigap benefits in Massachusetts, Minnesota,that you can take advantage of and covers the gaps
and Wisconsin may differ a bit, however, as thethat you commonly experience with Medicare.
policies are standardized a bit differently in theseThe various Medigap core benefits offered with most
states from the others.plans allows each senior with Medicare to be sure that
The Medigap benefits offered with most plans A-Ntheir health care is covered no matter what. Most
include:Medicare plans leave seniors needing more care or a
• Coinsurance hospital costs up to additional 365payment plan just to repay for services, which is why
days past Medicare Part AMedigap is offered, to allow these seniors to receive
• Coinsurance or Copayment excluding preventativethe health care they desperately need without
care for Medicare Part Bsuffering further hardship.
• First 3 pints of blood