The Medigap PLAN G is the best value for premium dollars and for that reason it is quickly becoming the most selected Medicare Supplement plan. Now, with the coming law change, it will be the choice with the most features for “Newly Eligible” Medicare enrollees, starting January 1, 2020. It’s time to get to know it.
PLAN G – FAST FACTS
- With the PLAN G you can go to any doctor or hospital in the country that accepts basic Medicare. No referrals are needed. Claims are immediately filed electronically.
- The PLAN G provides 100% coverage in the hospital from day one, and it is one of only two Medigap plans (F & G) that cover excess amounts doctors may choose to bill (known as Part B Excess Charges).
- The PLAN G has only ONE difference from Medigap PLAN F. The only gap in Medicare coverage not filled by the PLAN G is the Medicare Part B deductible. This is a per-year deductible and is $185.00 for 2019. PLAN G & PLAN F are identical otherwise.
- Some of the areas that Medicare’s Part B applies to are: outpatient services like doctor’s visits and preventive services, and things deemed medically necessary like ambulance services and durable medical equipment.
- If you encounter any care pertaining to Part B services in a calendar year, once you have paid the first $185 of those charges, you are done. You will have nothing else to pay other than your monthly insurance premium. So, $185.00 … then 100% coverage. That’s it!
- As mentioned, claims are immediately filed electronically, from the doctor of clinic where you received service… they send to Medicare first… then Medicare pays their part and sends the remainder of the claim to your Medicare Supplement company. You will get a paper statement in the mail from your doctor’s office or service provider within a couple weeks of a visit, and you will write them checks for any bills, until you have paid the total of the Medicare Part B deductible. Then you’re done for the year.
THERE’S MORE…
- In most instances, the premium savings for PLAN G versus PLAN F is substantially greater than the out of pocket cost of the Part B Deductible.
- Historically, the annual rate increases for PLAN G policyholders are lower than the same annual increases for PLAN F policyholders.
- Also like the PLAN F, choosing the option of the PLAN G gives you “certainty” of the maximum you will pay with out of pocket dollars. This is a very important feature.
ON THE DEDUCTIBLE…
- The Medicare Part B deductible amount is set annually by the Centers for Medicare Services and has been very consistent. Some recent history: it was $185 in 2018, $183 in 2017, $166 in 2016, $147 in 2015, $147 in 2014, $147 in 2013, $140 in 2012, $162 in 2011, and $155 in 2010.
- You only have to meet the Part B deductible once a year. It is a calendar-year deductible that resets every January. So if you change to a PLAN G from another Medigap plan, after a new year has started, and you have already met your deductible for that year, you do not have to meet it again.
We are not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program. We do not offer every plan available in your area, and any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please get in touch with Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all your options.