Medicare Advantage
Medicare Advantage are health plans managed by private insurance companies that Medicare members can enroll in. These plans offer set copays, deductibles and yearly limits to medical costs rather than a 20% responsibility for medi-cal costs. These plans can also offer additional benefits not covered by Original Medicare . They may include things like : Dental , Vision , Gym Memberships, 24 hour nurse hotlines and meals often at no cost. These plans usually have lower costs for medi-cal services but have different doctors networks than original medicare.
Medicare Supplement & Medi-Gap plan
Medicare supplement or Medigap plans are private health insurance plans that cover the cost not paid for by Original Medicare. They will usually cover some or all of the cost not covered by Medicare Part A and Part B, but they do not include coverage for prescription drugs. If a medicare member enrolls into a Medicare Supplement plan they will usually need to get Prescription drug Coverage to cover the cost of the medications. These plans can be purchased anytime of year but may be subject to medical underwriting if a Medicare member is enrolling after they are initially eligible for Medicare enrollment.
Medicare Part D / Prescription Drug Coverage
Medicare Prescription Drug Plans (PDP) are plans that only help cover the cost for Medicare ember prescription drugs. These plans are often referred to as a Part D plan. They can be enrolled only during the medicare ICEP, AEP and if a Medicare member has a Special Enrollment (SEP).