Understanding The Benefits Of Medicare Supplements
Understanding The Benefits Of Medicare Supplements
Medicare Supplement, or Med Supp plans, are designed to help you pay for your Medicare. Original Medicare is comprised of two parts: Part A, hospital care, and Part B, medical care. Some seniors opt to purchase a Medicare Advantage plan, which adds perks like prescription drug coverage, dental coverage, and more, but Medicare Advantage can be pricey. You may be better off with a Medicare Supplement plan.
Med Supp plans are called Medigap because they help to close the gap between your coverage and your out-of-pocket costs. They don’t provide any extra benefits like Medicare Advantage plans do. However, they will help you pay for copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles.
How Medigap Works
Medigap coverage is arranged by letter. Options are A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N. Each letter represents a different amount of coverage, as well as different costs for coinsurance, deductibles, and out-of-pocket limits. The confusing part of this is that Medigap A and Medigap B are not the same as Original Medicare Part A and Original Medicare Part B. Make sure to confirm whether you are discussing Medicare Part A or Medigap Plan A.
The letters apply to every state except for Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Massachusetts and Minnesota separate their Medigap Plans by only two options, and Wisconsin has one basic plan. Clients will still have options with these plans for different amounts of coverage and costs, but the arrangement is different from the other 47 states (speak to your agent for details).
Medigap Qualifications
To qualify for Medigap, you have to have Original Medicare first. You cannot own both a Medicare Advantage and a Medigap policy, so you’ll need to pick one – but you can switch under certain circumstances. Once you have Original Medicare, all you need to do is pay your premiums and you’ll be eligible. Your spouse may not be automatically eligible because every individual needs to purchase his or her own Medigap policy. Those with a Medicare Savings Account (MSA) are not eligible.
Don’t wait too long to purchase a Medigap plan! Otherwise, you may find yourself excluded or up-charged for pre-existing health conditions. Buy as soon as your eligible.
Buy Now
AEP (the Annual Enrollment Period) runs from October 15 through December 7. Set up an appointment to speak with an agent about Medigap or other changes to your plan by calling 1-844-431-1832.
Your Mood Affects Your Health
Your Mood Affects Your Health
Did you know that stress and depression can weaken your immune system? Your mental health affects you physically as well as emotionally. Thankfully, Medicare provides benefits that can serve as “mood boosters” to help keep you both physically and emotionally healthy. Learn how emotions affect the body and how you can stay healthy.
How Your Mood Affects You
Depression is all-too common among seniors, and it often comes from the stress of aging. The feeling of stress is triggered by the release of the hormone cortisol, which slows down motivation and metabolism. This means that stress can cause you to not only lose the motivation to eat healthily and exercise, but also lose the metabolism to break down fatty foods, ultimately leading to unhealthy weight gain. Aside from weight gain, the influx of cortisol can inflame the immune system, weakening it and making it easier for you to catch infections and get sick.
On the same side of the token, a positive mood will allow you to heal more quickly. If you take a positive attitude with your illness or injury, your immune system will stay stronger and you’ll have less cortisol holding you down.
How To Heal
What makes you happy? All the little small things that you enjoy can help you heal emotionally and physically, as the two are connected. Consider starting with your senses – do you have a scent that makes you happy? Light a candle or spray a fragrance. Do you have a sound that makes you happy? Play some music. When it comes to emotion and mental health, the senses are a great way to start.
If your home remedies aren’t helping, consider taking advantage of your Medicare plan.
Medicare Mood Boosters
Medicare’s SilverSneakers® program promotes healthy social and physical behaviors for seniors like you. The program revolves around group exercise programs hosted within gyms and YMCAs. The programs include activities like strength, flexibility, walking, and yoga classes. The group setting gives you an opportunity to socialize with other seniors in your area, and the activities will help strengthen your physical health. If SilverSneakers® is a benefit included in your Medicare plan, you should receive a list of participating facilities. Then, all you’ll need to do is bring your SilverSneakers® card with its 16-digit member number to the facility.
If you feel your mood slipping often or if you are experiencing symptoms of depression, it may be a good idea to consider joining a SilverSneakers® class.
If you aren’t sure whether your plan includes SilverSneakers®, or if you’re looking for another Medicare benefit that can help you, one of our agents can answer your questions. Call today at 1-844-431-1832.
Holistic and Natural Health Care with Medicare
Holistic and Natural Health Care with Medicare
Medicare provides coverage for services with doctors, pharmacies, and hospitals that have legally agreed to serve Medicare clients. Holistic and natural health care providers are usually not legally equipped to support Medicare. In 2017, if you’re over the age of 65 you have to purchase a Medicare plan. But what if you only use holistic and natural methods and don’t plan on actually using Medicare?
Medicare Is An Investment
If you have Original Medicare, your premiums can be less than $200 per month. That’s a better deal than paying a fee every time you visit a holistic doctor. More importantly, if you have to rush to an emergency room one day, you’ll have to pay the total cost of your visit and care. An emergency medical professional is not going to drive you to your holistic care facility. A Medicare plan will help you pay for any potential emergency.
If you don’t purchase a plan now, you’ll be charged a penalty fee later – so it’s financially smartest to buy a Medicare plan as soon as you turn 65.
What To Buy
If you truly believe that you won’t use your Medicare plan, you’re still better off purchasing a small plan than not having coverage at all. If you prefer, you can enroll in Medicare Part A alone. It will only cover hospital services (no prescription drugs, no doctor’s appointments, no long-term, dental, hearing, or vision care). Additionally, you can enroll in a Medicare Supplement plan, which will help you pay for your coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.
We’ll take your holistic health care needs into consideration and help you find a plan that best fits YOUR needs. Call today at 1-844-431-1832.
