2
Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage Plan, also known as “Part C,” is another way
to help fill the gaps. These plans, offered by private carriers, cover all Medicare
Part A and Part B services and often also include coverage for prescription drugs
(Part D). Medicare Advantage Plans may also offer extra coverage such as
vision or dental. Each Medicare Advantage Plan can charge different premiums
and out-of-pocket costs. Generally, the beneficiary will continue to pay the
premium for Medicare Part B while enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, as
well as any premium the carrier charges for the Medicare Advantage Plan.
Medicare Advantage Plans include, for example, HMOs (health maintenance
organization), PPOs (preferred provider organization), and fee for service
providers. Depending upon the plan you select, the Plan may pay only for
services provided by an in-network provider or offer reduced benefits for services
provided by an out-of-network provider, so you may want to check if your
providers are in-network. Seeing a doctor who is out-of-network may only be
covered for an emergency or be more expensive. When you compare these
plans, it is a good idea to consider the network and any different benefits they
offer, as well as the monthly premium costs.
Q. Is there a comprehensive document available to help me understand
Medicare Supplement Policies?
A. If our FAQs don’t answer your questions or if you want to read more in-depth
about the Medicare Supplement plans, you can read the Centers for Medicare
and Medicaid Services (CMS) guide, “Choosing a Medigap Policy: A Guide to
Health Insurance for People with Medicare.” The document explains what the
different policies cover, your rights to buy a policy, and how to purchase a
Medicare Supplement policy. You can find the most recent version here:
https://www.medicare.gov/publications/02110-medigap-guide-health-
insurance.pdf.
You can also visit CMS’ dedicated Medigap Plans webpage,
https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Health-Plans/Medigap/index.
Maryland’s State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is a free program to help
those on Medicare with personalized Medicare counseling, education, and
access to financial assistance resources. Each of the Maryland counties and
Baltimore City have access to a SHIP and you can find your local office here:
https://insurance.maryland.gov/Consumer/Documents/publicnew/ship-phone-
numbers.pdf.