Medicare Supplement Policies (Medi-Gap) To “fill the gap” created by Medicare’s deductibles, coinsurance, and exclusions, many private insurers have designed policies to cover some or all of the services not covered by Medicare. Policies intended to supplement Medicare are not sold or serviced by the federal government. They are sold by producers of private insurance companies. No producer selling Medicare Supplements may state that she represents Medicare or any government agency.

To eliminate the confusion surrounding the many different types of Medicare supplement policies available, federal law mandates national standardization of Medi-Gap policies. The law requires that insurers offer no more than 12 "standardized" Medi-Gap plans developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The 12 standard plans include a basic policy offering "core" benefits called plan A (Parts A and B co-payments, 365 additional days of hospitalization and the first 3 pints of blood). Each of the other eleven plans has a different combination of additional benefits, which are identified by alpha designations B

through L. No Medicare supplement policy may be sold unless a buyer’s guide and an outline of coverage are delivered at time of application, prior to accepting any premium payment. If the policy is sold by direct response (correspondence or television), with no producer involved, the buyer’s guide and outline of coverage must be delivered no later than at the time the policy is delivered. The outline of coverage must be printed in at least 12-point (1/6-inch) type.

If the producer is replacing one Medicare supplement with another, the producer must also give the applicant a Notice Regarding Replacement of Health Insurance prior to delivering the policy. In addition, a producer may not sell a Medicare Supplement to anyone who already has a policy if the new policy duplicates coverage of the first one. If a Medicare Supplement policy replaces another Medicare Supplement policy that has been in force for at least six months, the new policy must waive any probationary or pre-existing condition clauses.

All Medi-Gap policies must be either guaranteed renewable, non-cancelable or both. On the first page of each policy, a Medicare supplement policy must state its renewability and/or continuation provisions. In addition, all Medicare supplement policies must have a minimum 30 day free look period.

Federal law has established a six month open enrollment period for buying Medi-gap coverage from private insurers. The law dictates for six months immediately following enrollment in Medicare Part B, persons 65 or older cannot be denied a Medi-Gap policy because of health problems. The company selling the Medicare supplement policy may, however, apply a pre-existing condition clause and probationary period for the first six months of the new policy’s existence. A Medicare supplement health insurance product called Medicare SELECT is an experimental program that is currently being evaluated in some states.

Medicare SELECT, which may be offered by insurance companies or HMOs, is the same as standard Medi-Gap insurance in nearly all aspects. If you buy a Medicare SELECT policy, you are buying one of the 12 standard Medi-gap plans. The difference between Medicare SELECT and a Medi-gap policy is that Medicare SELECT policies will only pay or provide full benefits if covered services are obtained through specified health care professionals and facilities. As a result, Medicare SELECT policies generally have lower premiums.

Medicaid is medical welfare for those with low income and/or no assets. Medicaid is a federally assisted health insurance program that is administered and maintained at the state government level. Its purpose is to provide or supplement medical care for those in financial need, regardless of age, or disability. The coverage provided is quite extensive and generally covers all normal medical needs. Medicaid is not part of the Social Security system. Note: Medicaid will pay for convalescent care (Long Term Care).