Senior Health - Making Sure Seniors Are Protected

Senior health is far more volatile than most of us would like to admit. Whether you are a senior citizen yourself or you have one you want to take care of, finding proper protection in old age is vitally important to the protection of life in general. The easiest way to get protection is to find a health insurance plan that will accommodate all of the senior's needs and more. The information below will show you how to go about doing that so you can make sure your health or the health of someone you love is protected at all times.

One of the first things you need to think about as a senior is what you will likely need the senior health insurance for. Some policyholders need their plans to cover doctor's visits extensively, emergencies, and others need to get good deals on prescription drugs. Assess your needs so that you may be able to find a policy that is most fitting for them. Chances are you will opt for some kind of Medicare plan. When you do, you can look into supplemental insurance plans to cover those special needs. You should be able to setup an affordable insurance plan that works for you.

When you have an idea of the kind of plan you want to get, the next thing you need to do is generate some quotes online so you can see how much money you may have to pay. Then you can get the policy right there so that you are protected as soon as possible. You can change supplement plans or even insurance companies if you find a better deal out there. Just make sure you check everything before you sign up so that you know you are getting the coverage you need.

Senior health may be a little more fragile than the health of younger generations, but that does not make it harder to insure. There are plenty of insurance providers out there that are willing to work with seniors, even those on a fixed budget. You should never assume that you are out of options for your insurance plan because there is always a new one out there to take into consideration. With a little bit of research, you should be able to find a plan that is tailor fit to your needs. You can reap the benefits of your protection after that.

Hass Mohammed is VP of Sales & Marketing at Insurance Medics. Insurance Medics is a national online insurance agency offering a vast array of insurance products from many different insurers.

To find a Health insurance broker or for more information on Health Insurance Plans, visit http://www.healthinsurancemedics.com/

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Making health insurance more affordable for more American seniors

There is a lot of debate regarding Medicare, Medicare supplement policies, and their funding. The Medicare program has been around since the 1960s, when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed it into law. At that time, only about one quarter of the American elderly population was covered by insurance. Currently, the elderly are the only age group that basically has universal coverage. Medicare supplement policies came about more recently than that. However, there is a lot of concern that the Medicare funds are running out, that Medicare supplement policies are not doing enough to help the elderly, and that there is not enough incoming money to continue to meet the program's financial needs.

Many people do benefit from Medicare, even though it does not cover 100% of all medical costs. Many people purchase Medicare supplement policies to help offset the costs that are not covered by traditional Medicare. These premiums will also go towards funding Medicare. To offset these gaps in coverage, many American older adults will also purchase Medicare supplement policies that will help them pay some additional costs. Other people get their Medicare benefits from Medicare Advantage Plans through a private health insurance company. This is another way the Medicare program is trying to share costs and risks, by allowing private health insurance companies to also offer Medicare benefits. The insurance carriers get paid from Medicare to offer benefits to older Medicare-eligible adults. A member who buys a Medicare Advantage Plan cannot also purchase a Medicare supplement policy because that would be considered being eligible to have double benefits for the same things. Medicare Advantage Plans include many of the benefits of a Medicare supplement policy.
Medicare supplement policies are regulated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and are identified at this time by the letters A through L. In the near future, new Medicare supplement policies M through P will be introduced. Some older Medicare Supplement policies will be discontinued soon. The availability of the different Medicare supplement policies is based on geographic location. You will need to submit your zip code and county in order to find out which Medicare supplement policies are available for you to purchase in your area.

The current crisis with Medicare funding is because the baby boomer generation is close to reaching the age of 65. All of these baby boomers have been working and paying taxes into FICA and Medicare and funding the Medicare program. When the baby boomers all hit the age of 65, there will be more people using the Medicare program than there will be people paying and funding the Medicare prog ram. This is where the crisis lies.

Although there is a lot of concern about Medicare funding, it has not been a top priority for the government. The current emphasis on health care reform has certainly touched on the Medicare funding problem. Attempts at making health insurance more affordable for more American citizens are supposed to help relieve some of the burden on Medicare. However, at this time, it is difficult to predict how that will all work out. Many conservative leaders predict some huge financial obstacles that Medicare must overcome in order to stay a viable program.

Medicare Supplement policies are purchased from a private health insurance company, but they are heavily regulated by the CMS to work with traditional Medicare Parts A and B policies.

Medicare Supplements and Medicare Advantage Plans Are Not the Same Thing

Medicare Advantage Plans, are health plans from insurance companies that have a contract with CMS (Center for Medicare and Medicaid). Individuals who have Medicare Part A and B are eligible to choose a Medicare Advantage plan. Specialized plans exist for people with certain health conditions, but beyond that the general plans are not allowed to decline based on health except for very specific reasons.

When an individual is enrolled in the plan they do not lose their Medicare. They are entitled to cancel their Medicare Advantage plan, and the next month, they can go back to original Medicare. While enrolled in Medicare Advantage, they will have to use the insurance card provided by the Medicare Advantage plan instead of their Medicare card.

These plans may cost the participants nothing, or very little, though many still require the Part B participation amount. A Medicare Advantage plan is not free however. The plans receive a contribution from CMS every month, instead of having that tax money go to original Medicare. That is how the bulk of the plan is paid for, from tax money.

Traditionally, Medicare Advantage Plans were thought of as HMO plans were an insured person had to use the plan hospitals, doctors, and other medical providers to be covered. Many Medicare Advantage Plans are HMO plans. However, PPO Medicare Advantage plans also exist. Fee for Service Medicare Advantage Plans, or plans that will cover any medical providers who accept the insurance, are being marketed aggressively these days.

Your own medical needs and preferences will determine which plan will work out well for you. If your current medical providers contract with the plan's HMO, then you may be very satisfied with comprehensive coverage with very little extra payments. If you like more choice, and area doctors will accept a Free For Service plan then you might consider an "Any Doctor" plan. Be aware that not all doctors work with the Fee For Service plans, even though the insurance company claims it will work with any doctor! A great compromise is provided by PPO plans. You get the greatest coverage at the lowest price inside the network, but will still be covered by other medical providers.

Most, but not all, Medicare Advantage plans also contain Part D, or prescription drug coverage. Medicare Advantage plans may have very low, or no, premium for the insured people beyond their normal Part B premium. Some plans even refund the Part B premium. Also, Medicare Advantage Plans are not allowed to do a lot of risk selection based upon health, so they may be a good choice for less healthy applicants.

A traditional Medicare Supplement is very different from Medicare Advantage. With Medicare Supplements you still use your original Medicare Card, and add your Medicare Supplement health card. These plans are also provided by insurance companies, but they simply supplement the coverage gaps and deductibles not provided by original Medicare Part A and Part B.

If you have Medicare Part A and Part B, your Medicare supplement plan will pay the portion of your medical bill that Medicare will not pay. Of course, Medicare supplement plans differ, and so you need to be aware of exactly which portions a Medicare Supplement plan will pay before you sign up. For instance, Medicare may be 80% of your hospital bill, and your supplement will pick up the other 20%.

Medicare supplements come with premiums, and also may exclude unhealthy individuals. However, they generally provide the broadest access to health care.

Choosing a Medicare health plan can be one of the most important decisions a Medicare beneficiary will make. Let us help you find the right plan to fit your needs, lifestyle, and budget.

Compare Supplemental Medicare Health plans with simple online zip code searches

New Medicare Supplement Plans Are Available Now

Medicare does not cover all health costs. There are gaps in the coverage. Some or all of these gaps can be filled by additional insurance purchased from private insurance companies. These plans are known as Medicare Supplement Insurance Plans or Medigap Plans. There are currently twelve plans available, identified by letters A through L.

Since Medicare Supplements are standardized by government regulations, all Medicare Supplement insurance companies are regulated as to what provisions and what policies they can offer. That does nott mean the prices are the same. There can be a big difference in premium costs for the same plan, depending on which insurance company you choose.

First, a little background information:

The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (also called the Medicare Modernization Act) was signed into law In December of 2003. Prior to this Act, Medicare did not provide for outpatient prescription drug benefits. This Act created Medicare Part D, to give access to prescription drug insurance coverage for those eligible for Medicare Part A or who were enrolled in Medicare Part B. This coverage began on January 1, 2006 and is administered by private health plans.

The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) also encouraged the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) to modernize the Medicare supplemental insurance marketplace. NAIC developed a revised Medigap Plan model.

On July 15, 2008, Congress enacted the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act (MIPPA) that authorized the states to put the NAIC's changes into effect. Congress felt that Medigap insurance had not kept up with some of the changes in Medicare, so the 2010 Medicare Supplement changes are, in effect, an effort to modernize the Medigap Insurance market by dropping some coverage options and adding others.

Summary of changes for 2010 Medigap plans purchased on or after June 1, 2010:

? Preventative Care will be dropped from all 2010 Medicare Supplement plans

? At-Home Recovery benefit will be dropped from all 2010 Medicare Supplement plans

? Medigap Plans E, H, I and J will no longer be available for new sales

? Two new Medigap Plans -Supplement Plan M and Supplement Plan N will be available in June 2010

? Plan G will be modified to increase excess charges from 80% to 100%

? A New Hospice Benefit will be added to all plans

? Insurance carriers will be allowed to offer plans that include New or Innovative Benefits, such as hearing aid benefits or eye wear. They may not include outpatient prescription drug benefits.

Current underwriting guidelines for these new 2010 Modernized Plans allow the application dates to be written 60 days prior to the effective date of coverage. This means that the new Plan M and Plan N can be acquired now.

The new Medicare Supplement Plan M will be standardized as is all the current plans available.

This plan uses what is known in the insurance industry as cost-sharing in an effort to reduce monthly premium costs. You would see a slightly lowered premium, but would split the cost of Medicare Part A deductible ($1,100 in 2010) with the insurance company. This means that your Part A deductible would be $550.

Medicare Supplement Plan M does not cover any of the Medicare Part B deductible. Once you meet this Part B deductible ($155 in 2010) you would not have any co-pay for doctor visits. We think this will in effect reduce this plans monthly premiums by 15% compared to the popular existing Medicare supplement Plan F premiums.

Medicare Supplement Plan M does cover the basic Core Benefits including full coverage for the Part A daily inpatient hospital coinsurance charges, all costs of hospital care after the Medicare benefit is used up, Part B coinsurance charges, the first three pints of blood, and now the Part A hospice coinsurance charges for palliative drugs and has the foreign travel emergency benefits. Hospice care is included (as it is in all Medicare Supplement Plans for 2010).

Take a close look at Plan N. From what I have learned so far, it looks to become one of the most popular plans because of its affordability. Plan N also uses cost-sharing in an effort to reduce monthly premium costs. In order to lower the monthly premium costs, unlike Plan M, Supplement Plan N uses co-pays. Co-payments for doctor visits are $20 and $50 for emergency visits. Currently the co-pay system is set to go into effect after the Medicare Part B deductible is met.

Look for Plan N as a cost effective alternative to Medicare Advantage Plans. It offers a better solution than Medicare Advantage because Plan N has no network restrictions and much lower out-of-pocket liabilities to the client.

Medicare Supplement Plan N has 100% coverage for the Part A inpatient deductible. It does not cover the Part B deductible. Insurance companies are estimating this will in effect reduce this plans monthly premiums by 30% - 35% compared to the popular existing Medicare supplement Plan F premiums.

Medicare Supplement Plan N does cover the basic Core Benefits including full coverage for the Part A daily inpatient hospital coinsurance charges, all costs of hospital care after the Medicare benefit is used up, Part B coinsurance charges, the first three pints of blood, and now the Part A hospice coinsurance charges for palliative drugs and has the foreign travel emergency benefits. Hospice care is included (as it is in all Medicare Supplement Plans for 2010).

It's almost impossible to call all the insurance companies that offer Medicare Supplement Plans in your state to find the best prices on premiums. Your best bet is to contact a company that can find the best prices among all the insurance companies that service your area. One such source would be http://www.medigap4seniors.com

Prescription Drug Coverage With Supplemental Medicare Insurance and Medicare Advantage Plans

If you are about to turn 65, you have probably been studying up on how Medicare works and the various plans it offers. Because some of the plans are similar, the differences between them are often blurred, leaving potential beneficiaries confused about what plan is right for them.

Medicare Part C, known as a Medicare Advantage Plan, is one of the four basic parts of the Medicare system. It allows users of the original Medicare Parts A and B to get coverage from a government approved private insurance company of their choice. Medicare Advantage Plans include plans like Health Maintenance Organization Plans (HMO) and Preferred Provider Organization Plans (PPO). The biggest weakness the original Medicare plans have is that they do not cover the cost of prescription drugs. If you want additional coverage, you have a few options.

Medicare Part D is available to anyone with original Medicare (Parts A and B), and can help cover the costs of prescription drugs. You must get this coverage through a private insurance company approved by Medicare. If you have a Medigap policy, the same as supplemental Medicare insurance, it may already cover the costs of drugs. But if it does not, you are allowed to get a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan as part of Medicare Part D, but must alert your insurance company if you do so. Not all supplemental Medicare plans will cover drug costs, so it is important to make sure the plan you choose offers this benefit. If it does not, just remember that you can still get drug coverage through a Medicare Plan.

If you are not going to utilize Medicare Part D, or get supplemental Medicare insurance, consider Medicare Part C - the Medicare Advantage Plan. These plans, provided by private insurance companies, may offer prescription drug coverage at an additional cost. If you have one of these plans, you will not need supplemental Medicare insurance at all; it is simply an alternative. Make sure to check your coverage history from past employers; you might have additional coverage choices if your former or current employer provided you with prescription coverage.

Make sure not to buy a supplemental Medicare plan if you already have a Medicare Advantage Plan. Doing this is illegal, unless you are completely dropping your Medigap plan and returning to original Medicare. Be very careful before ever dropping your supplemental Medicare insurance, because it is possible that you may not be able get it back in the future. Discuss the issue with your State Health Insurance Assistance Program and your insurance company before ever making a decision that could affect your long-term health coverage.

Getting prescription drug coverage is an important element in any health coverage plan, and only gets more important as you get older. You should seriously consider getting a plan that helps cover the costs of prescriptions, as you never know what types of health issues you may have in the future. Whether you choose to get supplemental Medicare insurance or a Medicare Advantage Plan, having some kind of drug coverage will have you prepared for any twists or turns life may bring.

Richardt Insurance has over 35 years of experience helping seniors find the best supplemental Medicare insurance and prescription drug coverage that is available in their state.