Minnesota Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap)

In these days of rising prices and expensive health care seniors are faced with increasing dilemmas. It doesn't help that health insurance for seniors is even more confusing than regular health care. Because the government automatically enrolls all seniors in Medicare Part A programs many elderly individuals believe they are protects but the simple Medicare only covers the most basic of services and still has high deductibles and co-payments. Medicare Part A does not include extra expenses such as transportation, prescriptions, and many medical procedures such as dialysis, chemotherapy, and even simple tests.

As soon as seniors approach 65 they should look into enrolling in Medicare Part B which is an extended Medicare supplemental insurance that is provided by the government. There is a monthly fee for Part B but it can be deducted from social security payments automatically. Medicare supplemental insurance Part B extends the basic coverage to include many treatments and expenses not covered by Part A. It does not include prescription medicines, however.

For Minnesota residents there are programs that they can enroll in available from private insurance companies such as MediGap, and Medicare Part C, or Advantage. These plans are government regulated so the policies will basically be the same between all of the companies that offer senior Medicare supplement insurance. Medicare Part C often includes Medicare Part D which is the specific plan that deals with prescription drugs. Some Part C programs do not, and it is important to know if yours does or not so that you can enroll in a Medicare Part D program to cover the high costs of medicine.

Minnesota has many programs available to help seniors with the costs of Medicare supplemental insurance. In some cases lower income seniors can get Medicaid to cover expenses they cannot afford.