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It is quite a milestone to turn 65! Close to retirement, seniors can look forward to increased leisure and family time. Also with this remarkable age will come eligibility for Medicare, standardized Federally-funded health insurance. But it insures so many people, it’s impossible for it to cover their health care costs in full. That raises a need for supplements. Below is everything an individual could want to know about Medicare supplemental insurance.

Hundreds of thousands of seniors are provided with this Federal insurance. A hospital stay or some home health care are under Part A coverage. Part B helps pay expenses for doctor services, medically necessary equipment or supplies, physical therapy, and x-rays or lab tests. Dental or wellness check-ups that are considered preventative care have little or no coverage.

Most people have paid for Part A by taxes all through their working days, but Part B has a premium charged for it. Unfortunately, neither part covers any costs in full. Under Part A, there will be nothing due for the first 20 days in a hospital, but there is a large per day co-payment for the next 80 days. After that all expenses are the insured’s responsibility. Requirements, such as a minimum length of stay, must be met before it will cover anything. If pints of blood must be bought, the first three must be covered by the patient as well.

After a deductible is met, Part B will only cover up to 80% of approved charges. In states that aren’t directly Medicare approved, any excess beyond what the insurance decides is a fair cost for a procedure or treatment can also be the insured’s responsibility. It isn’t hard to see how quickly bills can add up.

Medicare supplemental insurance, or medigap, was designed to fill in those payment gaps. They work beside the Federal coverage to help lift the burden of what’s not paid for the individual. Expenses for an illness or injury may cost those surviving on a fixed income without supplements to help. No matter which company backs the supplement, it will be accepted anywhere Medicare is accepted.

All supplements are regulated by the Federal government and they all contain exactly the same coverage. They are lettered, with a few skips, between A and N. They all pay for the hospital stay co-pays, pints of blood, and the 20% remaining for Part B. Each plan covers a little more as they go along, from the deductibles to the Part B excess. There is a monthly premium for these plans, but little to no other cost as services are needed.

There is a Part C in this equation. Advantage plans are also available that work much like the insurance that most are already familiar with. They take the Part B premium as well as their own charge billed to the insured. Because of this, it is as if the person does not have federal insurance at all. Many have the misconception that Medicare is their secondary coverage, but that is not the case. There are co-pays and deductibles, and networks and referrals for specialists to be dealt with. All that can be eliminated by choosing a supplement instead.

Medicare alone will not be enough to cover health care costs. The best solution to cutting down these expenditures is to obtain a supplemental insurance. Most seniors will have through March 31st to get a plan or change one they already had. Pick a reputable company with a low monthly cost, keeping in mind all supplements are the same! Enjoy being a senior citizen and all the benefits that come with it.

Medicare supplemental insurance is in the brains of many people. You should definitely give Medicare supplement insurance a chance – you will not regret this one.