Medicare, Medigap and Advantage Plans

Medicare is health insurance for people age 65 or older, under 65 with certain disabilities and any age with End-Stage Renal Disease (permanent kidney failure requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant).

It is recommended that you contract for a Medicare Supplement/Medigap or Medicare Advantage plan when you sign up for Medicare because there is no physical required.  You can only change plans during the annual open enrollment period from November 1 to December 31.  The best way to analyze which plan is best for you is to use the Medicare.gov tool listed below.  you will need to review them annually because they often change what formulary drugs they cover.

Medicare A (Hospital Insurance) helps cover your inpatient care in hospitals. Part A also helps cover short term skilled nursing facility, hospice and short term home health care if you meet certain conditions.

Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) helps cover medically-necessary services like doctors' services and outpatient care. Part B also helps cover some preventative services to help maintain your health and to keep certain illnesses from getting worse.

Medicare Part C (Medicare Advantage Plans/Medicare Replacement Policies)  These are HMO/PPO or Fee for Service plans designed to replace traditional Medicare.  They offer some things that traditional Medicare doesn't and don't cover somethings that Medicare does.  There are low income plans and disease specific plans.  Be sure that you have read the coverage completely before switching to one of these plans to make sure it is the right one for you.

Medicare D (Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage) helps cover prescription drugs and reduce prices. Most plans have a co-payment, deductible and even a "donut hole" period where nothing is covered. Financial assistance is available for low income seniors to pay premiums and co-pays. Medicare D was not designed to replace existing benefits you might already have through retirement benefits. You should receive a letter from your current insurance company to advise is your coverage is as good as or better than Medicare D. Medcare.gov helps you evaluate based on the medicines you use which is the best plan for you.  Open enrollment to make any changes in your plan or provider is October through December.

Medicare Supplement Insurance (also called Medigap coverage) Private insurance policy that covers gaps (deductibles and co-pays) in Medicare coverage. All companies offer Plans A-J designed by the Federal government. Medicare.gov provides a wealth of information on understanding Medicare including a guide to help in selecting a Medigap and Medicare D policy. Evaluate your current coverage and the best plan for you at and review specific plan information. See Quick Summary of Benefits.

State Health Insurance Program (SHIP): Federally funded program to train volunteers to provide counseling on the insurance needs of senior citizens.

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