To help pay some of the costs that Original Medicare (Parts A and B) don't pay, some people purchase Medicare supplement insurance plans.
Ten standard plans are available, labeled "A" through "N," although not all plans are available in all states. For information about plans available in your area, call your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
What Original Medicare costs will you get help with?
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Part A deductibles -
Part B deductibles -
Coinsurance and providers' excess charges -
Cost of blood transfusions
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Cost of additional hospital days after you've used up your Part A benefits -
Hospital and skilled nursing facility coinsurance -
Some preventive care benefits -
Foreign emergency medical benefits
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Some drugs the provider must give you
These are examples of items Medicare supplement insurance plans will help you with. For a complete list of what benefits are provided, see the specific plan's details.
Benefit limits
All Medicare supplement insurance plans provide an additional 365 days of hospital care during your lifetime, beyond your Original Medicare lifetime reserve.
No Medicare supplement insurance plan pays for days in a
skilled nursing facility beyond the 100 days Part A pays for.
As long as the care is received in the United States, there are no geographic limits on where you receive the care. Some plans do offer emergency care outside the United States.
What won't you get help with?
In general, Medicare supplement insurance plans help only with your cost sharing for Original Medicare, like deductibles, copays and coinsurance. They don't pay for long-term care (like nursing home care), routine vision, dental or hearing care, hearing aids, eyeglasses, or private-duty nursing.
These plans do not pay for prescription drugs. If you choose one of these plans and want drug coverage, you'll need to buy a standalone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan.