Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans, also known as Medigap plans, are secondary insurance plans offered by private insurers. As the secondary insurer, these plans pay after Original Medicare pays its portion of your medical services, covering some or all of your deductibles and coinsurance. Click here for a comparison of benefits covered by the ten standardized Medigap plans available in Michigan.
With a Medigap plan, you may receive your Medicare services from any provider in the United States who accepts assignment with Medicare. You are not restricted to provider networks. Some Medigap plans have coverage for medical services received outside the United States.
Medigap plans charge a monthly premium, which can increase each year with inflation and age. Depending on the plan design, you may be responsible for deductibles and/or coinsurance for your medical services. As long as you continue to pay your monthly premiums, you can keep your Medigap plan from year to year.
Medigap plans, as secondary insurance plans, may impose underwriting on applicants, resulting in higher premiums or denial of the application if you have a restricted medical condition. At certain times, however, you are eligible for Guaranteed Issue and can purchase a Medigap plan without answering medical questions. The most common Guaranteed Issue windows occur when you turn 65, when you first enroll in Part B and when you leave group coverage.