What happens to my Medigap policy if I join a Medicare Advantage Plan?

There are many benefits to having a Medicare Advantage Plan, starting with the fact that all your coverage options are kept under one plan.  This can be very helpful to keep from having to remember what is covered under different parts of Medicare and Medigap policies.  However, if you happen to join a Medicare Advantage Plan after you have a Medigap policy you may be wasting your money. 

If you don’t want to lose your Medigap policy for any reason and you get on a Medicare Advantage Plan you will lose most of the benefits.  For instance, the Medigap policy can’t pay any deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, or premiums under a Medicare Advantage Plan.  If you are thinking that this kind of defeats the purpose for the plan, you are exactly right.

If you decide to go with your Medicare Advantage Plan and drop your Medigap coverage you must remember a few things as well.  First, you may not ever be able to enroll in the same Medigap policy again if it should happen to change.  Second, if you do choose to keep paying your Medigap policy while you have your Medigap Advantage Plan it is your right to do so if you don’t want to lose the benefits of it for the future.

One Response to What happens to my Medigap policy if I join a Medicare Advantage Plan?

  • Stanley Hall says:

    If getting a Medicare Advantage Plan defeats the purpose of having a Medicare Supplement Policy (Medigap), then how do I know which to have? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? I am only on Medicare Part A now, because I have Blue Cross/Blue Shield through work, but the premium keeps getting higher, so this year I am starting the rest of my Medicare coverage (also my Social Security) and I need to know what to base my choices on. I have received material from AARP on both their Advantage and Supplement plans, but don’t know which way to go.
    Thank you.
    Stanley Hall
    SHall@DallasCounty.org

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