Medicare covers many of your health care needs. Private companies approved by Medicare that provide different ways to get your health care and prescription drug coverage is what today’s Medicare is all about. Many things like cost, benefits, doctor choice, convenience, and quality is affected by the Medicare plan that you choose.
A fee-for-service plan that covers many health care services and certain drugs is the Original Medicare Plan. You can go to any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare. You use your red, white, and blue Medicare card.
The Original Medicare Plan doesn’t pay all of your health care costs. It does pay for many health care services and supplies, but there are costs that you must pay, like deductibles, coinsurance and co-payments. “Gaps” are what these costs are called in Medicare coverage. I will get into Medigap Insurance later.
If you have one of the plans called Medicare Advantage Plans which are available in many areas, you don’t need a Medigap policy. These plans include:
Health Maintenance Organizations (HMO),
Preferred Provider Organizations (PPO)
Private Fee-for-Service Plans
Medicare Special Needs Plans
Medicare Medical Savings Account Plans (MSA)
Lower out-of-pocket costs and more covered costs may be covered by the plans than the Original Medicare Plan. With HMO Plans you may only be able to see certain doctors or go to certain hospitals to get covered services so be careful that this is what you want before signing in the dotted line.
Wide ranges of health care coverage choices that may help pay for some of your health care costs. Health care choices work with the benefits you have from Medicare. What you choose will affect how much you pay, what benefits you have, which doctors you can see, and other things that may be important to you.
The “Medicare and You” Handbook 2008 will be coming out soon. In it you will can find answers to most of your questions. Things you don’t understand? Pick up that phone and and call Medicare and don’t discontinue the call until you have your questions answered and you are satisfied so that you can pick the best policy for YOU!!