More older adults and people with disabilities are opting for traditional Medicare, reports Allison Bell for Think Advisor. And, a large number of them are buying supplemental coverage. The proportion of people with Medigap, coverage that fills cost gaps in traditional Medicare and picks up the coinsurance, has risen by more than five percent.
People are beginning to see that traditional Medicare offers security that they can’t get in Medicare Advantage. Enrolling in a Medicare Advantage plan is a gamble. It can endanger your health and, sometimes, your life.
In Medicare Advantage, people gamble that they will be able to see the doctors they want to see. They gamble that their Medicare Advantage insurer will cover the care their treating physicians say they need. They gamble that they won’t face inappropriate and harmful delays in getting needed care. They gamble that their costs will be affordable.
Thirty-two percent more people bought Medigap coverage in the last few years. And, the total number of people with Medigap policies rose by 5.3 percent. Of those new policies, many were bought in the four states that make it easy to enroll in Medigap, regardless of your health–Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut and New York. Unfortunately, in all other states, insurers can deny coverage to people wanting to leave Medicare Advantage if they wait more than a year to do so.
That said, people still have a right to buy a Medigap plan in special circumstances. For example, people who move to another community generally have the right to buy Medigap, without underwriting, if they want to switch to traditional Mediare. And, sometimes, people who lose their providers in Medicare Advantage because they go out of network, also have that right.
If you have Medicaid and want to enroll in traditional Medicare, you are set. Medicaid will pick up your out-of-pocket costs. You do not need Medigap.
Here’s more from Just Care:
- 2027: Medicare Advantage plans will cost more and offer less than advertisedMedicare Advantage needs an overhaul
- More hospitals dropping Medicare Advantage plans, favoring traditional Medicare
- Medicare Advantage enrollment projected to drop in 2027
- The many disadvantages of Medicare Advantage
