Medicare Supplement (Medigap) Plans
A Medicare Supplement works alongside Original Medicare rather than replacing it. Medicare pays its share first, then the supplement picks up costs Medicare leaves behind.
How it works
You keep Original Medicare and add a supplement policy on top. When you get care, Medicare pays first and the supplement covers some or all of what remains, depending on which policy you have.
There's no network. Any provider who accepts Medicare accepts your supplement, anywhere in the country. No referrals, no primary care requirement.
Prescriptions aren't included. You'd add a separate Part D plan for those.
What varies
Supplement policies are standardized by letter, so the same lettered plan covers the same things no matter which company sells it. What changes is the price, and how that price behaves as you get older.
When you enroll matters more here than almost anywhere else in Medicare. There's a window when you can get a supplement without answering health questions. Outside that window, in most states, a company can decline you or charge more based on your health.
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