Kentucky Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap)

There are twelve standardized Medicare supplemental insurance policies (also known as Medigap policies) available to seniors in Kentucky, plus two additional high-deductible options. Each Medigap policy is labeled with a letter, with Plan A consisting of Medigap's most basic health coverage benefits, and each subsequent plan offering one or more additional benefits. The regular plans are Plans A through L, with high-deductible Plans F and J offering substantially higher annual deductibles ($1,900 in 2008) and lower monthly premiums.

Because Medigap plans for seniors are standardized - meaning that plans of the same name are the same throughout Kentucky, no matter which company you purchase your policy from - finding a suitable plan can be fairly straightforward. Companies may offer up to all twelve of the standardized Medigap policies, plus the two high-deductible options, or they may choose to offer only a handful of policies. All companies offering Medicare supplemental insurance must offer at least Medigap Plan A.

Medigap plans for seniors are sold through private insurance companies in Kentucky, and retain the ability to set their own monthly premiums for policies. This can lead to significant differences in policy prices between companies. Since Medigap policies are standardized, you can often save money on the policy you want just by comparing several companies serving senior residents in Kentucky.

To be eligible for a Medicare supplemental insurance plan, you must be a senior (aged 65 or better), and you're enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B. You may also be eligible for Medigap if you're under age 65 and have certain disabilities, or if you have end-stage renal disease. In both cases, you must likely be already enrolled in Medicare.

The Kentucky Insurance Program for Seniors (KIPS) has available several sources of information regarding health care in Kentucky, including seminars and free publications. The educational seminars are organized in partnership with senior and community centers throughout the state. You can attend KIPS seminars on topics such as Medicare supplemental insurance, long-term care insurance, life or senior settlements, insurance fraud and insurance plan review.