If you are someone with only original Medicare coverage (Parts A and B) you may wonder if that is enough coverage for all of your medical needs. If you are unsure about exactly how much coverage you need, it is wise to err on the side of being overcovered. You can get additional coverage by purchasing a Medicare supplement insurance plan, also called a Medigap plan. If you are not extremely familiar with Medicare supplement plans, there are a few things you may want to know before you sign on the dotted line. 

Plan Options

While most medicare options are called 'parts A, B, or D' and so on, Medicare supplement plans are called 'plan A, B, or C'. They can be easily confused, so knowing that can help you to keep things straight. Each of the supplemental plans available has different coverage options, which you will need to go over in detail to find which is best for you. For example, some plans offer foreign coverage, while others include additional days in skilled nursing facilities. Looking through the plans and pondering your own personal health and budget can help you to choose a plan. 

Upfront Coverage

From a budgeting perspective, it can be extremely difficult to know how much you will need each month to cover all of your medical needs. If you are on a fixed income, this could cause major issues. Most advantage plans are 'pay as you go', meaning you will pay a copayment for every service you receive each month. If you run into a month where you are especially sick or struggling, you may get behind trying to cover all of the bills. Fortunately, Medicare supplement plans have a flat monthly premium and then any services you require will be completely covered (depending on which plan you choose). In this way, Medicare supplement plans can be much more affordable than advantage plans. 

When to Sign Up

To sign up, you will need to talk to a major health insurance company to see which plans they currently offer and if you qualify to sign up. There are special enrollment periods, but if you sign up outside of one, you may have some medical underwriting. 

In conclusion, supplemental insurance plans take all of the worry out of medical insurance. If you are completely covered and something should happen, you won't have to worry about how you are going to pay for things; instead, you can just focus on recovering. If wondering about coverage has been giving you anxiety, get the coverage to put your worries to rest. Sign up for a supplemental insurance plan today.