What is Medigap?
A Medicare Supplement Insurance (Medigap) policy, sold by private companies, can help pay some of the health care costs that Medicare doesn’t cover, like co-payments, coinsurance and deductibles. If you lose Westmoreland Employer Plan coverage on December 31, 2019, these costs will no longer be covered on your Westmoreland card. Medigap policies generally don’t cover long-term care, vision, dental care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, non-emergency medical transportation or private-duty nursing. If you have Medicare and you buy a Medigap policy, Medicare will pay its share of the Medicare approved amount for covered health care costs. Then, your Medigap policy pays its share. Medigap plans come in ten standardized policies, lettered A, B and C, all the way up to N. Each Plan A has the same features, Each Plan B has the same features, and so on. Medigap policies do not include prescription drug coverage. Therefore you should join a Medicare Prescription Drug Plan (part D)
Who is Eligible?
You must have Medicare Part A (Hospital Insurance) and Part B (Medical Insurance) in order to purchase a Medigap plan.
When should you apply?
You can apply for a Medigap policy no later than 63 calendar days after your Westmoreland Employer Plan coverage ends. However you will need to be enrolled in a Medigap policy before January 1, 2020 in order to avoid any gap in coverage.
What will it cost to pay for coverage?
You pay the private insurance company a monthly premium for your Medigap policy in addition to the monthly Part B premium that you pay to Medicare. The cost of Medigap policies can vary widely. There can be big differences in premiums that insurance companies charge for exactly the same coverage.
How do I get information about Medigap policies and purchase a Medigap policy?
Medigap plans are purchased from the companies that issue the policies. To help you select a Medigap policy, you can get information about the plans that are sold in your area from the Medicare.gov website at http://www.Medicare.gov/find-a-plan/questions/medigap-home.aspx. You can also call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), and they can give you free help choosing a policy. Contact information for certain states is below and can also be found on the SHIP national website at https://www.shiptacenter.org/about-us/about-ships/.
SHIP Contact Information
Alabama
Phone: 1-800-AGE-LINE (1-800-0243-5463)
Website: http://www.alabamaageline.gov
Colorado
Phone: 1-888-696-7213
Website: https://www.colorado.gov/dora/senior-healthcare-medicare
North Dakota
Phone: (888) 575-6611
Website: https://www.nd.gov/ndins/shic-medicare
Utah
Phone: 1-800-541-7735
Website: https://www.daas.utah.gov
Virginia
Phone: 804-662-9333
Website: https://www.vda.virginia.gov/vicap.htm
West Virginia
Phone: 1-877-987-4463
Wyoming
Phone: 1-800-856-4398
Website: https://www.wyomingseniors.com/services/wyoming-state-health-insurance-information-program
