Pennsylvania Medicare Supplemental Insurance (Medigap)

Highmark Services helps co-ordinate the government Medicare services in Pennsylvania and administers standard Medicare Part A that is an automatic enrollment as well as Medicare Part B that seniors can opt-in for at the age of 65. Medicare Part A is the most basic health insurance for seniors provided by the government. There are no monthly payments but coverage is extremely limited and has deductibles as well as co-payments. There is no prescription medicine coverage with Medicare Part A and such items as medical transportation, many tests, and treatments are also not covered. With Part B many of those tests and treatments as well as more extras like EMS transportation, home health care accessories and other items are covered. However, Medicare Part B is not free of charge. There is a monthly payment that is deducted from your social security checks, and there are still deductibles and co-payments. Medicare Part b also does not include prescription medicine coverage.

Additional health insurance for seniors is provided by private companies throughout the state of Pennsylvania. These plans are regulated by the government so that they are more affordable than most health insurance policies but there are still monthly premiums that must be paid. Because they are a part of the Medicare plan even though not provided by the government the types of plans are required to be uniform from one company to the next. Medicare Part C helps to extend the services provided by traditional Medicare and is sometimes combined with Medigap that helps cover the costs of deductibles and co-payments. In some cases these plans are called Medicare Advantage plans and include Medicare Part D which is the senior prescription medicine plan for Medicare.

All Medicare supplemental insurance can be costly for seniors on a fixed income. If you fall in the lower income bracket in many cases you can obtain aide from the Pennsylvania State Medicaid office. You can call the Medicaid office, the social security office, or the Medicare office for more information on how you can afford extra health insurance coverage and obtain the best medical services possible.