Montana Medicare Supplemental Insurance Coverage Information

Medicare Supplemental Insurance, commonly referred to as MediGap, is an insurance program that helps to cover medical services that Medicare fails to cover completely like extended home care, prescriptions, and extended hospital care. There are about ten different MediGap programs that are available, MediGap Plans A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J. Each of these lettered plans covers different types of medical care benefits and situations.

MediGap Plans A is a basic benefit plan.

MediGap Plan B offers basic benefits, as well as supplemental coverage to Medicare Part A's inpatient hospital deductible.

MediGap Plan C offers everything that Plan B does, as well as offering its customers supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A's skilled nursing facility co-insurance, Medicare Part B's deductible, as well as foreign travel emergency health care coverage.

MediGap Plan D offers basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A's inadequacies, as well as foreign travel emergency health care coverage and at-home recovery coverage.

MediGap Plan E offers basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A's inadequacies, foreign travel emergency health care coverage, and preventative care coverage.

MediGap Plan F offers its recipients basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A's inadequacies, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part B's deductibles, foreign travel emergency health care coverage, and 100% coverage of Part B's excess charges. Plan F has a high-deductible option that is available, which can help to reduce the cost of this comprehensive plan.

MediGap Plan G offers basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare part A's inadequacies, foreign travel emergency health care coverage, at-home recovery coverage, and 80% coverage of Medicare Part B's excess charges.

MediGap Plan H is one of the few supplemental plans that covers prescription drugs. In addition to prescription drug coverage this plan also offers basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A, and foreign emergency health care coverage.

MediGap Plan I is another prescription drug option that also offers basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare Part A, foreign travel emergency health care coverage, at-home recovery coverage, and 100% coverage of Medicare Part B's excess charges.

Finally MediGap Plan J offers basic benefits, supplemental coverage for Medicare Parts A and B, foreign travel emergency health care coverage, at-home recovery coverage, 100% coverage of Medicare Part B excess charges, as well as preventive care coverage, and prescription drug coverage. This is another MediGap plan that offers a higher deductible, which can help to lower the monthly premium cost.

The government does not offer these supplemental plans. Instead they need to be purchased from an independent insurance agent. The privatization of these programs makes it imperative for customers to shop around before selecting a MediGap insurance provider as premiums, deductibles, and requirements vary greatly from insurance agency to insurance agency. Also each state has the right to limit how many types of MediGap programs can be sold by private insurance agencies, so not every MediGap plan will be available to residents in every state.

MediGap Information for Montana Residents

Since prices, coverage, and requirements vary from state to state, and insurance company to insurance company, customers should not buy coverage from any company without first conducting a little research to determine which plan is right for their unique situation. For Montana residents who are 65 years of age or older, there is an agency that is available to help in selecting the right plan and the right MediGap insurance provider. The State Health Insurance Counseling Program (SHIC) is an excellent source of information and referrals for MediGap programs. They can be reached by phone at 1-800-332-2272, or by visiting their web site at http://ww.dphhs.mt.gov/index.shtml. This agency will not only be able to help Montana seniors to find the right MediGap plan and provider, but they will also be able to provide information about other available state and federal medical care assistance programs that they seniors may qualify for.

Montana offers a wide array of MediGap programs. The deductibles for these programs typical run between $0 and $250, depending on the income of the customer. The monthly cost for MediGap programs in Montana will also depend a great deal on the income of the customer and on what options are selected, as well as what type of health care insurance program that is selected. For example Montana MediGap customers can choose from HMOs, PPOs, and self-directed health care.