Tag Archives: medigap

Major Medicare Supplement Rate Discrepancies Between Insurance Carriers!

Do you know that Medicare Supplement (MediGap) rates vary significantly between insurance carriers for the same identical plan and coverage? In the US, there are 10 “standardized” Medicare Supplement plans to choose from, plans A through N.

medigap

NOTE: The plans are labeled A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M and N to signify the plan differences. (Plans E, H, I and J are no longer available.)

The word “standardized” means that the coverage for Plan F, Plan G, etc. is exactly the same no matter what insurance carrier you have. For example, the coverage for Plan F is exactly the same with Mutual of Omaha, UnitedHealthcare, Blue Shield of CA, Aetna, Cigna, Anthem Blue Cross,  etc.

Although the coverage is exactly the same between insurance carriers for the standardized plans, the PREMIUMS ARE NOT THE SAME! In fact, most people are paying hundreds of dollars per year more for their insurance premiums than they should be!

For example, the Plan F premiums for a 70 year old living in the 92056 zip code in San Diego range in price from $153.98 per month to $264.19 per month. That’s a difference of $110.21 per month or $1,322.52 per year for the same identical plan and coverage! On the following rate sheet, you can see the different Plan F rates for 18 different insurance carriers in the 92056 zip code. Obviously, some carriers are more competitively priced than others!

Mary Jones Plan F Rates_Page_1

Mary Jones Plan F Rates_Page_2

As you can see, in the 92056 zip code, the Plan F rates for a 70 year old range in price from $153.98 per month to $264.19 per month! Again, that’s a difference of $110.21 per month or $1,322.52 per year for the same exact plan and coverage!

It’s Important to Shop Around Every Year!

The Medicare Supplement market is constantly changing, and so are the premiums. If you have a Medicare Supplement and you haven’t shopped around during the last year, there’s a good chance that you’re paying hundreds of dollars a year more for your insurance than you should be! Many people that I meet haven’t shopped around at all since they first signed up for Medicare! Many of these individuals haven’t heard from their insurance agent since then as well!

This past year, two of my clients (a husband and wife) had Plan G, and they were paying $809 per month for both of them, approximately $404.50 each! I shopped around for them and found them Plan G with a different carrier, Mutual of Omaha, and their total monthly premium is now $367.01 per month! That’s a savings of $441.99 per month or $5,303.88 per year! While this is not the norm, I can usually save most of my clients from $300 to $600 per year each on their Medicare Supplement insurance premiums and often more.

What is the Price Range for Plan F Medicare Supplement Rates?

In the following chart, I have taken the lowest and highest Plan F premiums for ages 65 through 90 in the 92056 zip code. As you can see, the monthly and annual differences are significant for every age group.

2 Lowest Plan F vs Highest Plan F

Is There An Open Enrollment Period for Medicare Supplement Plans?

No. Unlike Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, which have an annual open enrollment period from October 15th through December 7th every year, you can shop around and apply for Medicare Supplement plans all year long.

NOTE: There is a six month-open enrollment period for Medicare Supplements when you first sign up for Medicare Part B.

Do I Need to Be In Good Health to Get a New Medicare Supplement Plan?

Unless you are in a Special Enrollment Period (SEP), if you already have a Medicare Supplement, you need to be in relatively good health to apply for a new Medicare Supplement with a different carrier. However, if you have a Medicare Supplement and you apply during the 30 days before or after your birthday, you don’t have to answer any health questions on the application, and you cannot be turned down due to health reasons if you apply for the same plan or another plan with fewer benefits. For more details, please see the California Birthday Rule section below.

Heart

What Happens If I Am Not In Good Health? Can I Still Apply For a New Medicare Supplement Plan?

Yes, absolutely! Because of the California Birthday Rule, if you already have a Medicare Supplement and you have serious health issues, YOU CANNOT BE TURNED DOWN FOR COVERAGE if you apply during the 30 days before or after your birthday.

California Birthday Rule

In California, there is a law called the California Birthday Rule. This law guarantees you the right to apply for a new Medicare Supplement plan EVERY YEAR, as long as you apply during the 30 days following your birthday. This is also known as the annual 30-day open enrollment period.

NOTE: Although the California Birthday Rules specifies that you can apply, REGARDLESS OF YOUR HEALTH, during the 30 days following your birthday without being turned down for coverage, several insurance carriers will let you apply during the 30 days BEFORE or AFTER your birthday!

This is more advantageous for you because the premiums with these carriers are based on your current age when you apply, and your rates will be lower if you apply during the 30 days prior to your birthday. With these carriers, your new rates are also guaranteed and locked in for the first 12 months of your policy, so there won’t be any unexpected rate increases.

NOTE: Not all insurance carriers lock your rates for the first 12 months.

If you want to take advantage of the California Birthday Rule and apply during the 30 days before or after your birthday,  YOU CANNOT BE TURNED DOWN FOR COVERAGE as long as you apply for the same plan that you currently have OR if you apply for a different plan that has fewer benefits. For example, if you have Plan F (the most comprehensive plan) and you want to apply for Plan F with another carrier to save money on your premiums, or if you have Plan F and you want to apply with Plan G, etc.

NOTE: If you apply under the California Birthday Rule, there are no preexisting waiting periods for prior health conditions.

If you are in relatively good health, you can apply for a new Medicare Supplement plan any time of the year. If you have serious health issues, you should take advantage of the California Birthday Rule and apply for coverage during the 30 days before your birthday to save money on your premiums.

Consider Plan G to Save More Money On Your Premiums

Besides shopping around every year to make sure that you aren’t paying too much for your premiums, if you currently have Plan F, you should consider Plan G. Why? Because Plan G is identical to Plan F in EVERY way except you would pay a small $166 Part B (Medical) deductible one time per calendar year. That is the only difference between the two plans!

NOTE: I have an Obamacare Bronze plan, and my individual medical deductible is only $6,000 per year! I would gladly pay $166 per year for my medical deductible!

In other words, the most you would pay for any out-of-pocket expense with Plan G in any calendar year is $166. However, in most cases, you will save significantly more than $166 per year on your premiums, which usually makes Plan G a better value and more cost effective.

NOTE: The Part B (Medical) deductible is subject to change each year, but historically, it has remained stable.

To see the difference in coverage between Plan F and Plan G, please see the following chart:

Medigap Chart Plans F and G

As you can see, when you compare Plan F and Plan G, everything is exactly the same except for the $166 Part B deductible. Plan F has no deductible, and Plan G is basically Plan F with a small, $166 deductible.

Price Differences Between Plan F and Plan G

Although the two plans are almost identical in coverage, the rates for Plan G are usually significantly less than the Plan F rates. For a 70 year old in the 92056 zip code, the Plan F rates (above) range in price from $153.98 per month to $264.19 per month. The Plan G rates (below) range in price from $132.64 per month to $152.32 per month!

Plan F or Plan G

Plan G Rates Age 70

As you can see, the Plan G rates are significantly less than the Plan F rates for almost the same identical coverage.

Conclusion

The rates vary significantly from one insurance carrier to the next for the same identical plan and coverage. I recommend that you take advantage of the California Birthday Rule and shop around, every year, to make sure that you aren’t paying too much for your insurance. I would also suggest that you check out Plan G as another way to save a lot of money on your insurance premiums.

If you have any questions, or if you would like a free, no obligation quote, please don’t hesitate to let me know! I’m always happy to help!

Ron Lewis OHCC AD

Also, your feedback and comments are appreciated!

Thanks!

Ron Lewis
Ron@RonLewisInsurance.com
(760) 525-5769 – Cell
(866) 718-1600 – Toll-free

Save Money On Your Medicare Supplement by Comparing Rates Each Year

One of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping my clients save money on their Medicare Supplement (Medigap) insurance premiums. Most of the time, I can usually save individual clients at least $30 to $50 per month ($360 to $600 per year) on their premiums. Occasionally, I have saved them as much as $1,000 to $1,200 per year on their premiums!

medigap

I don’t mean to come across as bragging, because I’m not. However, I am very happy and excited because this past week I was able to save one of my clients (a husband and wife on a fixed income) over $5,300 per year on their Medicare Supplement premiums!  I was able to do this just by simply switching them to the same exact plan that they had, but with a different carrier!

They had Plan G with another company for quite a few years, and they were very happy with the company and their coverage. Their insurance rates were very low when they originally took out their plans, and the company always paid their claims promptly and without a problem, just as most Medicare Supplement insurance companies do. However, over time, their rates crept up, slowly but steadily. Until this past week when they called me, they didn’t realize that they were literally paying thousands of dollars more for their insurance than they should be!

Most people shop around every year or two and compare rates on their auto and homeowner’s insurance. Medicare Supplements are no different. If you have a Medicare Supplement plan, it is critically important that you shop around every year and compare rates between various companies because insurance rates vary significantly from one carrier to the next for the same identical plan and coverage. For example…

For a 72 year old female living in the 92056 zip code, the current Plan F rates range from $164.06 per month to $245.50 per month! That is a difference of $81.44 per month or $977.28 per year more for the same exact insurance coverage!

Attained Age

In California, Medicare Supplement insurance premiums are based on attained age. This means that as you get older, your rates usually continue to go up every year. Many companies start off at the “younger” ages (65 to 70) with very competitive rates, but over time, the rates continue to go up. Every company is different, and some companies raise their rates a lot more than others.

If you become complacent and don’t shop around every year to compare rates, you are probably paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more per year on your insurance premiums than you should be!

California Birthday Rule

In California, there is a law called the California Birthday Rule. This law allows anyone with a Medicare Supplement to switch to another insurance carrier every year within 30 days of their birthday (before or after), REGARDLESS OF THEIR HEALTH and without medical underwriting, if another insurance carrier is offering the same plan, such as Plan F, at a lower rate. During the annual 30-day open enrollment period, you are also guaranteed the right to switch to a “lesser” plan, such as from Plan F to Plan G, etc.

CA Birthday Rule

If you have a Medicare Supplement plan, you are guaranteed the right to shop around every year within 30 days of your birthday to save money on your insurance premiums. During this period, you cannot be turned down for coverage, regardless of your health.

You Can Apply for Medicare Supplement Plans All Year Long

Unlike Medicare Advantage plans that have an Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) from October 15th to December 7th every year for a January 1st effective date, you can apply for Medicare Supplement plans all year long. The only difference is that if you apply using the California Birthday Rule within 30 days of your birthday, you do not have to answer any of the health questions on the application, and you cannot be turned down for coverage due to health conditions.

If you apply for a Medicare Supplement plan any time of the year other than during your annual 30-day open enrollment period, you will have to answer the health questions on the application, and if you have certain health conditions, you could be turned down for coverage. If you are in relatively good health, you should not have any problem qualifying for a Medicare Supplement plan.

Guaranteed Issue Situations In California

In California, there are certain circumstances when you would qualify for a Medicare Supplement due to a guaranteed issue situation.

CA Bear

If you can answer YES to any of the following questions, you may be eligible for guaranteed issue:

  1. Has your employer-sponsored retiree plan that is supplementing Medicare involuntarily terminated?
  2. Has your employer-sponsored retiree plan stopped providing Medicare supplement benefits or the Medicare Part B 20% coinsurance for services?
  3. Have you lost eligibility for an employer-sponsored retiree plan due to divorce or death of a spouse or family member?
  4. Has your Medicare Advantage plan increased your premium or co-payments by 15% or more, reduced your benefits, or terminated its relationship with your medical provider who was treating you?
  5. Have you moved out of the area of your MA plan or Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization?
  6. Has your MA plan, Medicare SELECT Plan, PACE provider or any other health plan under contract with Medicare: (a) committed fraud; (b) ended or lost its contract with Medicare; (c) misrepresented the plan you bought, or (d) failed to meet its contractual obligations to Medicare beneficiaries, as determined by the federal government?
  7. Did you join a MA plan or PACE organization when you first became eligible for Medicare at age 65, and you want to switch to a Medicare Supplement policy during your first 12 months in the MA plan or PACE organization?
  8. Have you switched from a Medicare Supplement policy to a MA plan, PACE organization, Medicare SELECT plan, or any other health care organization contracting with Medicare, for the first time since becoming eligible for Medicare within the past 12 months?
  9. Has your MA plan left your area, and if so, did your MA plan benefits end within the past 123 days?

NOTE: Many people with Medicare Advantage plans who have serious health issues can still qualify for a guaranteed issue Medicare Supplement plan. See item #4 above.

What Insurance Carriers Do I Work With?

As a licensed independent insurance agent, I work with ALL the major insurance carriers in California. Most importantly, I WORK FOR YOU, not a particular insurance company! I’m also licensed in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, and Washington state. Here are some, but not all, of the Medicare Supplement insurance carriers that I work with:

  • Aetna
  • Anthem Blue Cross
  • Blue Shield of California
  • Cigna
  • Health Net
  • Humana
  • Individual Assurance Company (IAC)
  • Mutual of Omaha
  • Oxford
  • Stonebridge
  • Transamerica
  • UnitedHealthcare (AARP)
  • United of Omaha

Let Me Do the Shopping For You!

While it is unusual for me to be able to save most of my clients over $5,300 per year on their annual insurance premiums like I did this past week, it is not unusual for me to give someone a free, no obligation quote and save them anywhere from $300 to $500 per year on their Medicare Supplement premiums. That happens quite frequently.

As an independent insurance agent, I have access to insurance quote engines and other information that is not available to the public. You should take advantage of my knowledge and experience and let me do the shopping for you to save you money on your insurance premiums.

grocery-shopping-cartIf you have a Medicare Supplement plan, please contact me for a free, no obligation quote. More than likely, I will save you hundreds of dollars on your Medicare Supplement insurance premiums.

As one of my clients, I will contact you every year, about a month before your birthday, and I will let you know what the best rates are at that time. You always have the option to either keep your current plan, or you can take advantage of the California Birthday Rule and change carriers if another company is offering better rates.

Either way, I strive to build trust and relationships with my clients. I will not do a magic act and disappear after you have your new policy, 😉 and you will always have the peace of mind knowing that you are not paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars more than you should be for your Medicare Supplement insurance.

If you have any questions, or if you or anyone that you know would like a free Medicare Supplement quote, please contact me at (760) 652-6060 or toll-free at (866) 718-1600. You can also reach me by email at Ron@RonLewisInsurance.com. Your questions and feedback are always welcome!

Want to Change Your Medicare Advantage Plan to a Medicare Supplement Plan During AEP?

MEDICARE_MazeThe Annual Enrollment Period (AEP) for Medicare Advantage (MA) plans (Part C) is almost here! If you have an Advantage plan and you’d like to change to a traditional Medicare Supplement plan, you can apply during the upcoming AEP, which is from October 15th through December 7th, for an effective date of January 1st, 2016.

If you have an Advantage plan or a Prescription Drug Plan (PDP), this is the one time of year to make changes to your health and/or prescription drug plans for the following year. To make these changes, the plan has to receive your enrollment request (application) no later than December 7th. If you stay with the same plan that you had, any changes to coverage, benefits, or costs for the new year will also begin on January 1st.

What is the Annual Notice of Change (ANOC)

Medicare_AdvantageIf you have an Advantage plan, your plan will send you an “Annual Notice of Change” (ANOC) each fall. The ANOC includes any changes in coverage, costs, provider networks, or service areas that will be effective in January. These are usually mailed out in September by your Advantage plan. After you receive your notice, review any changes to decide whether the plan will continue to meet your needs during the following year. If you don’t receive this important notice, contact your Advantage plan and request that they send it to you.

IMPORTANT: If you have health conditions that may prevent you from meeting the underwriting requirements for a Medicare Supplement, the ANOC may qualify you for one of the “guaranteed issue” situations listed below.

Minimum Health Requirements for a Medicare Supplement

To apply for a Medicare Supplement during the AEP, you must complete a Medicare Supplement application, which includes a section with health questions. If you have serious health issues, there is a good chance that your application will be turned down. However, there are certain “guaranteed issue” situations that you may qualify for. This means that you will not have to answer any of the health questions on the application, and you cannot be turned down!

In the “Eligibility for Guaranteed Issue In California” section below, there are nine situations that would guarantee you the right to change your Advantage plan to a Medicare Supplement plan, REGARDLESS OF YOUR HEALTH, without answering any health questions on the application!

Carefully check the ANOC. If your Medicare Advantage plan has increased your premium or co-payments by 15% or more, reduced your benefits, or terminated its relationship with your medical provider who was treating you, YOU PROBABLY QUALIFY FOR A GUARANTEED ISSUE MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLAN!

Guaranteed Issue Rights

Guaranteed issue rights are rights you have in certain situations when insurance companies MUST offer you certain Medicare Supplement policies (plans A, B, C, F, K, or L). In these situations, an insurance company:

  • Must sell you a Medicare Supplement policy
  • Must cover all your pre-existing health conditions
  • Can’t charge you more for a Medicare Supplement policy because of past or present health problems

In most cases, you have a guaranteed issue right when you have other health coverage that changes in some way, such as when you lose the other health care coverage. In other cases, you have a “trial right” to try an Advantage plan and still buy a Medicare Supplement policy if you change your mind.

Medicare_Supplement

Eligibility for Guaranteed Issue In California

In California, you would qualify for a guaranteed issue Medicare Supplement for any of the following situations:

  1. Has your employer-sponsored retiree plan that is supplementing Medicare involuntarily terminated?
  2. Has your employer-sponsored retiree plan stopped providing Medicare supplement benefits or the Medicare Part B 20% coinsurance for services?
  3. Have you lost eligibility for an employer-sponsored retiree plan due to divorce or death of a spouse or family member?
  4. Has your Medicare Advantage plan increased your premium or co-payments by 15% or more, reduced your benefits, or terminated its relationship with your medical provider who was treating you?
  5. Have you moved out of the area of your MA plan or Program for All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) organization?
  6. Has your MA plan, Medicare SELECT Plan, PACE provider or any other health plan under contract with Medicare: (a) committed fraud; (b) ended or lost its contract with Medicare; (c) misrepresented the plan you bought, or (d) failed to meet its contractual obligations to Medicare beneficiaries, as determined by the federal government?
  7. Did you join a MA plan or PACE organization when you first became eligible for Medicare at age 65, and you want to switch to a Medicare Supplement policy during your first 12 months in the MA plan or PACE organization?
  8. Have you switched from a Medicare Supplement policy to a MA plan, PACE organization, Medicare SELECT plan, or any other health care organization contracting with Medicare, for the first time since becoming eligible for Medicare within the past 12 months?
  9. Has your MA plan left your area, and if so, did your MA plan benefits end within the past 123 days?

Purchasing a Medicare Supplement Insurance Policy if You’ve Lost Your Health Care Coverage

If you believe that you have a guaranteed issue right to purchase a Medicare Supplement policy, make sure you keep the following items:

  • A copy of any letters, notices, emails, and/or claim denials that have your name on them as proof of your coverage being terminated.
  • The postmarked envelope these papers come in as proof of when it was mailed.
  • You may need to send a copy of some or all of these papers with your Medicare Supplement application to prove you have a guaranteed issue right.
  • If you have a Medicare Advantage Plan but you’re planning to return to Original Medicare, you can apply for a Medicare Supplement policy before your coverage ends. The Medicare Supplement insurer can sell it to you as long as you’re leaving the plan. Ask that the new policy take effect no later than when your Medicare Advantage enrollment ends, so you’ll have continuous coverage.

Which is Better, a Medicare Supplement or an Advantage Plan?

This topic is big enough to have its own blog! Personally, I strongly prefer Medicare Supplements over Advantage plans because you can go to ANY doctor or hospital in the US as long as they accept Medicare, and most of them do. With an Advantage plan, you are limited to their local networks of doctors and hospitals, and that is a major disadvantage. Also, a lot of people seem to think that Advantage plans cost less than Medicare Supplements, but if you are every hospitalized or develop a serious medical condition, you will be spending thousands of dollars on co-payments and deductibles with your Advantage plan.

Here are some pros and cons when comparing Medicare Supplements to Advantage plans.

Medigap Advantage Comparison ChartFor the reasons mentioned above, I would recommend Medicare Supplements over Advantage plans. If you are relatively healthy, an Advantage plan may be okay. But if you later develop serious health conditions, you’ll wish you had a Medicare Supplement because you should have the freedom to go to the best doctors, hospitals, specialists, and facilities ANYWHERE in the United States!

Peace of Mind Next Exit

If you (or someone you know) have an Advantage plan and you have any questions or would like to find out more about Medicare Supplement plans, please contact me at Ron@RonLewisInsurance.com. As an independent agent, I work with ALL the major insurance carriers in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona, and I’ll shop around for you to get you the best rates.

Which is Better, Medicare Supplement Plan F or Plan G?

Today, there are 10 standardized Medicare Supplement plans (Plans A through N). The coverage for these plans is the same no matter which insurance company you have. For example, the coverage and benefits for Plan F is exactly the same at Aetna, Cigna, Blue Shield, Stonebridge, Blue Cross, etc., so it’s much easier to shop around and compare plans and prices today.

As you can see in the following chart, Plan F provides the most extensive Medicare Supplement coverage. (The plans with the empty boxes indicate coverage that is not included with that particular plan.)

Medicare Chart

Of the 10 standardized Medicare Supplement plans (aka “Medigap” plans), Plan F is considered to be the best plan because it provides the most comprehensive coverage. Plan F pays for all of the coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles not paid for by Medicare.

Plan F pays for the following benefits:

  • Medicare Part A Hospital Deductible (Currently $1,216 per benefit period) *
  • Medicare Part A Hospital Coinsurance
  • Medicare Part B Deductible (Currently $147 per year)
  • Medicare Part B Coinsurance
  • Medicare Part B Excess Charges
  • Hospice Care Coinsurance or Copayments
  • Skilled Nursing Facility Care Coinsurance
  • Charges for First Three Pints of Blood
  • Foreign Travel Emergencies

* A benefit period begins on the first day you receive service as an inpatient in a hospital and ends after you have been out of the hospital and have not received skilled care in any other facility for 60 days in a row. Therefore, there can be multiple Part A hospital deductibles in one calendar year.

Which is Better, Plan F or Plan G?

Which is Better, Plan F or Plan G?

Plan F and Plan G include the following benefits:

  • Freedom to choose any doctor or hospital that accepts Medicare patients.
  • Benefits start immediately with no waiting period for pre-existing conditions.
  • There are no networks and no referral needed.
  • No cancellation for age, health or the number of claims you file.
  • Covers 100% of all Medicare allowable excess charges.
  • Coverage that expands automatically with any future changes in Medicare.
  • Virtually eliminates all claims paperwork for you.
  • 30-day, no-risk free look guarantees your satisfaction or you get your money back.

Medicare Plan G Is Identical To Plan F Except For the Part B Deductible

Medicare Plan G provides the same identical coverage as Plan F except it does not cover the $147 Part B calendar year deductible (in bold above). That is the only difference between the two plans. They are exactly the same in every other way! Plan F and Plan G are the only two Medicare Supplement plans that pay 100% of any excess charges, so there would rarely be any unexpected out-of-pocket expenses. (Excess charges are additional expenses incurred outside of the Medicare-approved charge. For example, if you go to a doctor that charges more than the Medicare-approved amount.)

Why Would I Choose Medicare Plan G Over Plan F?

The decision to go with Plan G depends on whether the annual savings will exceed the $147 Part B deductible. For example, if your Plan G premiums are $30 per month less than the Plan F premiums, then you will save $360 per year in premiums ($30 x 12 = $360). If you are healthy, and you didn’t go to a doctor that year, you would have saved $360 on your premiums. If you had to pay the $147 Part B deductible, then you still would have saved $213 for the year in premiums ($360 – $147 = $213). On the other hand, if your annual premium savings would be just slightly more than, equal to, or less than $147 per year, then you are unquestionably better off with Plan F.

The Likelihood of Future Rate Increases is Less With Plan G Than With Plan F

Under federal law, Plan F falls under certain Guaranteed Issue (GI) requirements while Plan G doesn’t. For example, if someone has their health insurance with an employer plan or if they are on a Medicare Advantage plan and they loose their coverage, in most cases, they are guaranteed the right to switch to Plan F, regardless of their health and without medical underwriting.

Plan G is not a guaranteed issue plan. Consequently, the overall pool of people with Plan G are healthier than those on Plan F, and the quantity of submitted medical claims is lower with Plan G. Rate increases are often a result of too much GI business, so “F” plans have historically had greater and more frequent rate increases than “G” plans. That’s not a guarantee that “G” plans won’t have future rate increases, but if they do, the increases will more than likely be smaller.

Make the Switch!

Make the Switch!

The Only Potential Risk That I See With Plan G…

The only potential risk that I see for the future is that nobody knows for sure what the Part B deductible for Medicare will be in the future. Between 2011 and 2012, the Part B deductible actually went down from $162 per year to $140 per year. For the last few years, from 2013 through 2015, the Part B deductible has been stable and remained the same at $147 per year.

Here is the history of Medicare Part B deductibles:

  • 2017 — $183
  • 2016 — $166
  • 2015 — $147
  • 2014 — $147
  • 2013 — $147
  • 2012 — $140
  • 2011 — $162
  • 2010 — $155
  • 2009 — $135
  • 2008 — $135
  • 2007 — $131
  • 2006 — $124
  • 2005 — $110
  • 1991 through 2004 the Part B deductible was $100
  • 1982 through 1990 the Part B deductible was $75
  • 1973 through 1981 the Part B deductible was $60
  • 1966 through 1972 the Part B deductible was $50

As you can see, the historical Part B deductible rates have been relatively stable over the years. For me, it wouldn’t be an issue if I could otherwise save $200 to $300 per year by having a Plan G Medicare Supplement. On the other hand, many of my clients can afford to pay for the best and most comprehensive plan, Plan F, and they don’t want the uncertainty of not knowing for sure what the future will bring. Saving $200 to $300 per year isn’t always a big enough motivator for many to warrant switching from Plan F to Plan G. Then again, many retirees are on tight budgets and fixed incomes, and if that is the case, I would unquestionably recommend that they switch from Plan F to Plan G if they can save money on their premiums.

The California Birthday Rule

With the California Birthday Rule, you are guaranteed the right to switch plans every year within 30 days after your birthday, regardless of your health and without underwriting, if another company is offering the same plan or a lesser plan for less money. In other words, if you have Plan F, you can switch to Plan F with a different company if their rates are lower, or you could switch from Plan F to Plan G with a different company since Plan G is considered to have less benefits (the $147 Part B deductible) than Plan F. Rates vary significantly from one company to the next for the same identical plan and coverage, so it’s important to shop around every year.

Please let me know if you have any questions or comments!

If you or someone that you know would like a Medicare Supplement quote, please let me know, or click here to visit my website. Or, you can compare Medicare Supplement prices on your own by clicking the “Get A Quote” button below.

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