2017 Medicare Supplement Rates — A Look Ahead

 California Medicare Supplement Rates, Medigap by County Information, Medigap Plan Choice Comparison  Comments Off on 2017 Medicare Supplement Rates — A Look Ahead
Jul 212016
 

Seniors are patiently waiting for CMS to release the pricing for Medicare Supplements for 2017.  We will provide updated pricing as soon as it comes available.  It is likely that prices will increase this year.  Many seniors may find the plan cost offerings to have jumped in price more than would be preferred, but utilizing this year’s pricing will provide insight into pricing and allow for some level of budgeting. Their is not an exact date that rates are published, but they are released in the fall each year. It is important to watch for the rates so that you have time to decide what will work best for you.

2016 California Medicare Supplemental (Medigap) Rates Los Angeles County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from State Farm Insurance Company from $1756.00. Second best is USAA Life. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $4468 from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. This is a huge difference for the same plan!

Their are many other companies that offer Medigap or Medicare Supplemental plans in Los Angeles County. This includes Aetna Life, Blue Cross, Gerber, and Humana.

 

Orange County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from USAA Life Insurance Company from $1846.00. Second best is Stonebridge Life Insurance Company. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $4459 from Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. This is a considerable difference in cost.

Ventura County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from State Farm Insurance Company from $1706.00. Second best is Globe Life Insurance Company at $1846. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $4466 through Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. This is another significant difference.

San Bernardino County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from California Physicians Service from $1200.00. Second best is Colonial Penn Insurance Company at $1216. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $2089 through Sentinel Security Life Insurance Company. This is another significant difference.

Riverside County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from State Farm Mutual from $938.00. Second best is Stonebridge Life Insurance Company at $1133. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $2327 through Physician’s Mutual Insurance Company. This is a $1,389 difference from highest to lowest.

San Diego County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from Blue Cross of California from $1431.00. Second best is Loyal American Life Insurance Company at $1445. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $2387 through Physician’s Mutual Insurance Company. The difference between the highest and lowest is not as great as in some counties. 

Imperial County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from Health Life Insurance Company from $1080.00. Second best is State Farm Mutual Insurance Company. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $2006 through Physician’s Mutual Insurance Company. This is a $926 difference from highest to lowest.

Inyo County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from State Farm Insurance Company from $901. Second best is Stone Bridge Insurance Company at $956. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $2006 through Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. This is over a $1,000 difference from least expensive to most expensive.

Santa Barbara County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from Colonial Penn Insurance Company from $1106.00. Second best is California Physicians Service at $1128. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $1877 through Thrivent Financial Company. This is another significant difference.

Tulare County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from Health Net Life Insurance Company from $1080.00. Second best is United American Insurance Company at $1130. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $1765 through Physicians Mutual Insurance Company. This is a $685 Difference. Not as high as some counties, but still a significant difference.

Kings County

  • Male or Female age 65 (smoker OR non-smoker) — Best Price Medigap Plan A offering is from State Farm Insurance Company from $901.00. Second best is Globe Life Insurance Company at $902. This compares with the highest cost plan offered from $1794 through Sterling Life Insurance Company. This is an $893 difference.

When searching for plan rates, it’s important for seniors to note the potential for wide variability in plans. Factors such as age, sex, smoker and zip code can influence rates. Because of the types of plans offered, seniors should note first what type of plan they wish to seek out (designated by the letter type found at Medicare.gov or at our article here).  After choosing the medicare supplement plan that is most desirable, seniors can compare the same plans across the full breadth of insurance companies in their county in California.  Plans with a designated letter will share the same attributes regardless of the insurance company that offers them!  Therefore, price should be the main characteristic that shoppers should use to decide on a plan. Other factors, h0wever, such as reputation of the insurance company and plan network may be an additional consideration for seniors to consider when comparing medicare plans.

 

 

 

 

Medicare Supplement Plan Comparison Explanation

 Medigap Plan Choice Comparison  Comments Off on Medicare Supplement Plan Comparison Explanation
Jun 252012
 

One of the choices that seniors and other Medicare recipients face is choosing the proper Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plan for their budget and medical needs.  Because the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has called for standardized plan choices, it is easier to compare between plans offered from different private insurers like AARP or Blue Cross Blue Shield Anthem.

For questions about what Medigap is, click here.

What is the difference between Medicare Plan Supplements A and B?
Is Plan F better than Plan D? How does a high deductible Plan F compare to regular Plan F?


Each Medicare supplement plan type is denoted by a letter.  Insurers may offer many several Medigap plans, but the letter allows for easier online Medigap plan comparison.  The different plans help cover costs (such as co-insurance costs) not covered by regular Medicare Part A and Part B.

Since each Medigap plan F, for instance, offers the same coverage, the only differences are the actual companies that administer the plan and the price of Medicare Supplement Plan F that the companies offer.

Generally, seniors will find it best to choose the lowest price among the letter plan chosen — although many seniors may wish to thoroughly check online Medigap insurance company reviews carefully.  Seniors may also consider asking others who have Medigap plans(friends  at their church, or other peer groups) their experiences with individual insurers.  Some seniors may feel that it is more important to find the best Medigap insurance customer service than a rock bottom price.

What is co-insurance?

Co-insurance is the portion of a total bill that the patient is expected to pay.  As opposed to a flat dollar amount per service, Medicare co-insurance is generally a fixed percentage of the total allowable charges for a healthcare service.

Here is a breakdown on individual Medicare Supplement plan choices:

Medicare Supplement Plan A  is a Medigap plan choice that offers basic coverage. This covers all of the coinsurance that regular Medicare Part B doesn’t cover. Plan A is generally the most affordable Medigap plan.

Medicare Supplement Plan B is a Medigap plan choice that offers basic coverage. Like Plan A, Plan B covers all Part B coinsurance costs, but also covers the Part A deductible cost as well.

Medicare Supplement Plan C is a Medigap plan choice that offers basic coverage. It improves upon Plan B by offering additional coverage;  Plan C also covers skilled nursing facility co-insurance and both Medicare Part A and Part B deductibles, and foreign travel emergency coverage. This is a type of coverage that seniors who like to travel to foreign countries or take cruises should consider.

Medicare Supplement Plan D is a Medigap plan choice that offers coverage like Plan C, only this plan does not cover the Medicare Part B deductible.


Medicare Supplement Plan F is a Medigap plan choice that offers the most comprehensive coverage for seniors.  This plan covers all costs that regular Medicare doesn’t cover. For this reason, it is generally the most expensive plan. Many seniors who don’t want to risk worrying about additional costs may consider plan F the best Medigap plan or best Medicare Supplement plan  offered.

High Deductible Medicare Supplement Plan F offers the same coverage as the regular Medigap plan F, but has requires the patient to pay the first $2000 dollars toward out-of-pocket expenses. This is another strong choice for seniors searching for a plan that provides across the board coverage, and prevent concerns about a patient being unable to meet excessive medical costs.

Medicare Supplement Plan G is similar to Medigap Plan F, although it doesn’t offer coverage for the Medicare Part B deductible.

Medicare Supplement Plan K is a Medigap plan choice that is quite a departure from the previous plans. This plan offers comprehensive preventative care coverage, part A hospital co-insurance and  hospitalization coverage for one year. It covers up to half of costs from the Medicare Part A deductible and half of skilled nursing facility costs.  Covers 50% of first 3 pints of blood.  This plan has a maximum out-of-pocket limit of $4,660 per year, at which point plan covers 100% of covered costs that calendar year.

Medicare Supplement Plan L is a Medigap plan choice that is very similiar to Plan K. Instead of covering half of  the K expenses, Plan L pays %75 of Medicare Part B coinsurance, Blood, Part A co-insurance, Skilled nursing care and Medicare Part A deductible. Also, it has an out-of-pocket limit of only $2,330.

Medicare Supplement Plan M is a Medigap plan choice that covers all of the Medicare Part B coinsurance, Blood, Part A co-insurance, skilled nursing care and half of the Medicare Part A deductible.  This plan also provides emergency foreign travel coverage. However, it does NOT have an out-of-pocket limit like plan K or plan L!

Medicare Supplement Plan N is a Medigap plan choice that covers Medicare Part A coinsurance,  Blood, Part A hospice care coinsurance, skilled nursing care coinsurance, Part A deductible and foreign travel emergency care. It also covers Part B coinsurance, although under this plan, the patient is expected to pay up to a $20 copay for office visits and up to $50 for emergency room vis