If you are enrolled in Original Medicare, Medicare supplement plans can help to cover some of the out-of-pocket costs that your plan does not cover. Medicare supplement plans are available to anyone enrolled in Part A and Part B and can be purchased from Medicare-approved private insurers.

Medicare Supplement Plan D is one of the ten Medigap plans that are available in most states. These Medigap plans include Plans A, B, C, D, F, G, K, L, M, and N.

Note that it is easy to confuse Medicare Part D and Medicare Supplement Plan D. They have very different coverages. Part D is a stand-alone plan for Prescription Drug Plan coverage.

What does Medicare Supplement Plan D cover?

If you have Original Medicare, you can opt to enroll in a Plan D Medicare supplement plan to help cover some of your out-of-pocket costs. Some of the coverages included in your Plan D Medigap include:

·        Part A coinsurance and hospital costs (Coverage lasts up to 365 days after Medicare benefits are used up);

·        Part A deductible;

·        Part A hospice care coinsurance or copayment;

·        Part B coinsurance or copayment;

·        Skilled nursing care coinsurance;

·        Blood transfusion (first three pints);

·        80% emergency medical care during foreign travel (for the first 60 days).

Like any other Medigap plan, Plan D does not add any additional coverages such as dental, vision, or hearing to your benefits. Rather, it helps to fill in the gaps left by your Part A and Part B benefits by paying for coinsurance, copayments, and deductibles.

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What Medigap Plan D doesn’t cover

Medicare Supplement Plan D offers more benefits compared to Plans A and B but there are some costs that it does not cover.

Costs not included in your Medigap Plan D coverage:

·        Part B excess charges;

·        Part B deductible;

It is important to note that all Medigap plans including Plan D do not cover prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, or non-skilled long-term care.

All Medigap plans including Plan D do not cover prescription drugs, dental care, vision care, or non-skilled long-term care.

Medicare Supplement Plan D vs Medicare Part D

Although Medicare Supplement Plan D and Medicare Part D seem similar, there are two different plan types. Plan D is a Medigap plan that is available to Medicare beneficiaries who want help with Part A and Part B out-of-pocket costs. On the other hand, Medicare Part D is an optional private health insurance and part of Medicare that offers prescription drug coverage to Original Medicare beneficiaries.

If you have Original Medicare, you can enroll in both Medigap Plan D and Medicare Part D since both these plans offer different coverages. However, if you have a Medicare Advantage plan, you cannot enroll in Medicare supplement plans such as Plan D.

Medigap Plan D enrollment

The best time to enroll in a Medicare Supplement Plan D is during your open enrollment period when you first become eligible for Medicare. Each individual has a different open enrollment period since it refers to the window that starts the month you turn 65 and are enrolled in Part B and lasts for 6 months thereafter.

During the open enrollment period, you have Medicare protections that ensure that:

    I.          The insurer cannot refuse to issue you a policy due to a pre-existing health condition, age, gender, or other factors.

   II.          The insurer cannot charge you higher rates due to your health condition, age, or other factors.

III.          You will not have a waiting period for preexisting conditions and all benefits per your policy begin immediately.

If you miss the Medicare Supplement open enrollment period, you can still enroll in Medicare Supplement Plan D but insurers can refuse to cover you or charge you higher rates based on your medical history. This is because after the open enrollment period, you no longer have Medigap protections or guaranteed issue rights which require insurers to cover you regardless of your medical history.

Medigap policies like Plan D are sold by private insurers so costs can vary. You can use Medicare’s plan finder to find and compare Medigap plans available in your area.

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Medicare Supplement Plan D vs. Medicare Supplement Plan F coverage

Plan D is one of 10 standardized Medicare supplement plans available. Compared to Plan F, Medicare Plan D offers less coverage.

Medicare Plan F offers coverage for:

·        Part A coinsurance and hospital costs;

·        Part A deductible;

·        Part A hospice care coinsurance and copay;

·        Part B deductible;

·        Part B coinsurance and copays;

·        Part B excess charges;

·        Blood (first three pints);

·        Part A hospice care coinsurance and copay;

·        Skilled nursing facility coinsurance;

·        80% emergency medical care during foreign travel (for the first 60 days).

Medigap Plan F offers coverage for Medicare Part B deductible and Part B excess charges. These coverages are not available under Medicare Supplement Plan D.

Keep in mind that neither Plan D nor Plan F covers vision, dental, or prescription drugs.

Medicare Supplement Plan D vs. Plan G

Medicare supplement Plan G is one of the most popular Medigap plans since it offers comprehensive coverage. Compared to Medicare Supplement Plan D, Plan G offers coverage for Medicare Part B excess charges. This coverage is not available under Medigap Plan D.

Medigap Plan G offers coverage for Medicare Part B excess charges. This coverage is not available under Medigap Plan D.

Both Medicare Supplement Plan G and Plan D do not offer coverage for Part B deductible. Coverages included in Medicare Part G are:

·        Part A coinsurance and hospital costs;

·        Part A deductible;

·        Part A hospice care coinsurance and copay;

·        Part B coinsurance and copays;

·        Part B excess charges;

·        Blood (first three pints);

·        Part A hospice care coinsurance and copay;

·        Skilled nursing facility coinsurance;

·        80% emergency medical care during foreign travel (for the first 60 days).

Switching from Medigap Plan D to other Supplement Plans

In some circumstances, you may want to switch from one Medigap plan to another. For instance, you may not be getting sufficient coverage from your current Medigap plan or you want a cheaper plan.

Medigap free-look period

Once you enroll in Plan D or any other Medigap plan, you have 30 days during which you can choose to keep or drop your plan. This 30-day period is referred to as the free-look period. If you are not satisfied with your old coverage you can opt to switch to a different supplement plan after trying it for 30 days.

Medigap supplement plans are optional so you can also decide to drop your Medigap coverage if you no longer want coverage. There is no specific set time to drop or switch your Medigap plan, you can do it any time during the year by informing your plan provider. However, switching plans during the open enrollment period will ensure that you have Medicare protections. 

Questions about Medicare?

Shoot us an email at medicare@hihella.com.